DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The co-hosts of a popular soccer podcast in metro Atlanta say the World Cup has put Atlanta in the spotlight.
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Along Sycamore Station in Decatur, it’s all soccer all the time.
“I thought it was one of the hottest crowds in that building, regardless of the sport,” Jon Nelson said.
Nelson and Jason Longshore are the co-hosts of the long-running podcast Soccer Down Here, where Atlanta goes for futbol.
“This is a soccer town!” Nelson exclaimed.
And the World Cup is the talk of the town.
“It felt like a special World Cup atmosphere,” Longshore said.
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These guys are also members of the Atlanta United broadcast team, and they say when Arthur Blank landed the franchise, it changed everything.
“Today, kids have grown up with Atlanta United. Kids have grown up and have the players’ posters on the wall and the jerseys. They’ve got heroes now,” Longshore said.
Now they’ve got the World Cup, huge crowds for the games at Atlanta Stadium, and huge crowds for the FIFA Fan Festivals in Centennial Olympic Park. These guys need a calendar to keep up.
“With three or four hours of sleep, if I didn’t have this calendar, I’d be in trouble. I’m lucky to know what day it is,” Nelson said.
It’s Thursday, and Atlanta is on top of the soccer world.
“International broadcasters are showing Atlanta Stadium full, and loud, and noisy,” Nelson exclaimed.
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