Atlanta United sign Justin Garces as Homegrown Player

Atlanta United have added another Homegrown Player to their roster as the club announced the signing of goalkeeper Justin Garces on Monday. The former Five Stripes youth product returns after a four-year stint in college with UCLA.

Garces, 21, joined Atlanta United’s academy back in 2017, spending two seasons with the team’s youth setup before leaving for college. During his time with the Bruins he racked up several accolades, including wrapping up his career with a Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team nod in 2021. He’s also represented U.S. Soccer at U-17 level, most notably earning the start nod at the 2017 U-17 World Cup and recording three clean sheets.

“Justin is someone we are very excited about bringing back to the club,” Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said. “We saw the raw talent he had when he came through our Academy and made some appearances at the USL level. He has really progressed over the last four years after playing at a top program like UCLA. He has a great frame and is comfortable with the ball at his feet. We are excited to see him continue his development with our club.”

With the club’s goalkeeper depth in a state of flux after the departures of Alec Kann and Ben Lundgaard, the back-up positions behind Brad Guzan are wide open for competition. If Garces doesn’t earn a first-team spot, there’s still plenty of room for growth and development with ATL UTD 2 in the coming seasons.

Welcome to Atlanta United, Justin. We’re excited to see what you can bring to the club.