Interest in Atlanta United from the supporters is evident by the 55,000 people who showed up to watch their first match. But, their popularity doesn't just begin and end with their attendance numbers. As of writing this post, the club's official Twitter account has overtaken the Seattle Sounders' account for the most followers in all of MLS. Atlanta sit at 370,915 while Seattle are at 370,619.
On Friday, they were in third place behind both Seattle and the LA Galaxy, but after receiving a huge bump thanks to their MLS debut, they now sit on top of the rankings.
While it may not see like a big deal, it's mightily impressive for this to happen after just one official match played in the club's existence. It just goes to show you how well they've marketed themselves over the past three years and how they've attracted so much legitimate interest in professional soccer in Atlanta.
The biggest question for Atlanta United is, can they sustain the massive amounts of interest for the long haul? Will the sell out crowds continue to happen once the shine wears off? The club's presence on social media is one no-so-small indicator that the huge interest is not artificial and could be a constant.