Atlanta United today announced Jose Hernandez and Patrick Okonkwo will be loaned to ATL UTD 2 for the 2019 United Soccer League Championship season.
Hernandez, 21, spent most of the 2018 season with ATL UTD 2 where he made 10 starts over 14 appearances. The Venezuelan left back made his MLS debut on September 22 in a 2-0 victory against Real Salt Lake when he came on as a second-half substitute and logged 17 minutes. Hernandez previously spent his entire professional career at Caracas FC of Venezuela’s Primera Division before joining Atlanta as a Discovery Signing on Dec. 13, 2017. He has been a fixture with Venezuela’s National Team at the U-17 and U-20 levels. He made four starts over five appearances at the 2017 U-20 World Cup in South Korea, helping guide Venezuela to the final where it fell to England.
Okonkwo, 20, was loaned out to Charleston Battery for the 2018 season and made an impact in his second year with the club. He made 24 appearances for Charleston and scored five goals, which ranked third on the team. The striker made 11 starts and logged over 1,000 minutes for the Battery in 2018 and finished the year with 32 total shots, 13 of which were on target. Okonkwo signed a Homegrown contract with Atlanta United on June 17, 2017. The Nigeria native was one of the most prolific scorers in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy from 2015-2017, notching 48 goals in two seasons.
ATL UTD 2 will kick off its second season in its new home of Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia on March 9 against USL Championship expansion team Hartford Athletic at 7:30 p.m. EST.
