Atlanta United announced today midfielders Julian Gressel and Gordon Wild have obtained U.S. green cards. In addition, the club has waived midfielder Anderson Asiedu.
Gressel, 25, won MLS Rookie of the Year after appearing in 32 matches with 24 starts in 2017. Drafted with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, Gressel scored five goals and added nine assists, the third-highest tally ever for a rookie. He remained one of the mainstays in Atlanta United’s starting lineup in 2018, starting all 33 games he played in during the regular season, while also playing the full 90 minutes in each of the five MLS Cup Playoff matches for Atlanta. The German midfielder scored four goals and had 14 assists, which was tied for the team-lead. In 2019, he’s scored two goals with three assists in 14 games played.
Atlanta selected Wild, 23, with the No. 37 pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. He has not appeared in an MLS match, but has one goal in six appearances for Atlanta United 2 in 2019. Last season, he joined Charleston Battery on a season-long loan and scored seven goals in 33 appearances. A Generation Adidas selection, Wild started 55 out of 56 games of his three-year college career and scored 38 goals. Prior to his collegiate career, the German native was a part of the Mainz 05 Youth Academy.
Asiedu, 22, was drafted with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. He did not appear in an MLS match and had two assists in 10 appearances for Atlanta United 2.
Atlanta (7-5-2, 23 points) returns to action when it hosts Chicago Fire at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday (6:00 p.m., UniMas, Sports-Radio 92-9 The Game).
