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Atlanta United announced on Monday that Josef Martinez has acquired a United States green card and will no longer count as an international player on their roster.
Josef Martinez has obtained a U.S. Green Card and no longer occupies an international roster spot
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) July 9, 2018
Congrats, @JosefMartinez17! pic.twitter.com/rsumAPEwMK
Now we know how the club will be able to fit newly announced signing Eric Remedi on the roster. Per MLS rules, teams may have no more than 8 “international players” (foreign players without a green card).
The club has made effective use of its legal team’s ability to acquire green cards for its international players, and there are rumors that at least a couple more players might be close to getting domestic status in MLS. Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and Julian Gressel are two players who are still registered as “International” on squad registration, but are likely in a good position to earn green cards in the future.