Yamil Asad on Atlanta United fans and if he’ll celebrate if he scores in front of them

Yamil Asad is coming back to Atlanta this weekend, but not in a fashion anyone ever expected. The forward, who spent 2017 as part of Atlanta United’s inaugural roster, has joined D.C. United on loan from Velez Sarsfield after he and the Five Stripes were unable to come to terms on a deal.

Asad spoke to MLSSoccer.com’s Ian Quillen and said that he hopes to receive a warm welcome from the Atlanta faithful when he steps on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium field on Sunday.

“I hope that they treat me well, with great memories they’ve had of me and the work that I put in,” Asad said. “But I also have great memories of those fans just always filling the stadium and being a great fanbase. … I’m always going to have the most respect for their group and their fans.”

Despite what you think of the way Asad left Atlanta United, he brings up a very good point. His work ethic for the club was truly exceptional. He always gave his all while on the field for the team and that should be worth something.

There’s a tradition in soccer regarding players playing against their former clubs. Depending on how they left things, if a player scores against their old team, they’ll choose whether to celebrate the goal or not. For the most part, most players show respect to their former fans and choose not to celebrate. A prime example of this is when Jacob Peterson scored a late game-tying goal at Sporting Kansas City last season.

If Asad scores in Atlanta on Sunday, he says that he’ll very likely show that respect and not celebrate.

“I have great respect for the fans and the people of Atlanta. I don’t see why I would celebrate a goal there if I was to score.”

What say you? Will you cheer when his name is called or do you hold ill feelings toward him for leaving?