Andrew Carleton: A Retrospective on Atlanta United’s First Homegrown Player

Andrew Carleton holds a distinct place in Atlanta United’s history.
Signed in 2016 as the club’s first Homegrown Player, he represented a commitment to developing local talent during the earliest days of the Five Stripes project. He appeared in Atlanta United’s first-ever match, a preseason friendly on February 11, 2017 against Chattanooga FC, where he scored in a 4–0 win.

His career would go on to span multiple leagues, development systems, and competitive levels, including MLS, the USL Championship, NISA, and a spell abroad in Costa Rica.

This retrospective focuses on Carleton’s development as a player, the roles he took on across several clubs, and the broader arc of a career shaped by many different competitive settings.

Early Development and the Homegrown Pathway

Carleton joined the Atlanta United academy during the club’s launch period and quickly drew attention within U.S. Soccer’s development system for his creativity, first touch, and attacking instincts. Before entering the professional ranks, he became a consistent presence in the U.S. Youth National Team setup, representing the US at the U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, and U-20 levels.

Carleton’s youth national team résumé includes:

• U-17 FIFA World Cup (2017)
• CONCACAF youth tournaments
• multiple U-20 camps

He was a central figure in the 2017 U-17 cycle, contributing goals and assists in a highly talented generation of American prospects.

Atlanta United

His signing on June 9, 2016 marked the start of Atlanta United’s homegrown pathway, which would eventually produce first-team contributors such as George Bello, Caleb Wiley, Tyler Wolff, and Jackson Conway.

Progression into the Professional Environment

2016 – Charleston Battery

USL Championship

• Appearances: 3
• Assist: 1

Carleton’s first steps into the professional game came in 2016, when he made several appearances for the Charleston Battery as a youth prospect. When Atlanta United entered MLS the following year, he began integrating into the new club’s professional environment, spending most of 2017 training with the first team and earning limited first-team opportunities.

At just 16 years old, he appeared - and scored - in Atlanta United’s first-ever match, a preseason friendly against Chattanooga FC on February 11, 2017. For an expansion club, this level of trust in a teenager is extremely rare. New MLS teams typically lean heavily on experienced players during their launch period, and teenagers almost never feature in those early fixtures. His involvement highlighted both his status as a top American youth prospect and the club’s early commitment to integrating academy talent.

Carleton made his official MLS debut later that spring, entering against the Houston Dynamo on May 20, 2017, still only 16.

2017/19 – Atlanta United 2

USL Championship

• Appearances: 29
• Goal⚽: 7
• Assist: 4
• Yellow Card🟨: 9

The majority of his competitive action came with Atlanta United 2, which launched in 2018. Between 2018 and 2019, he logged 29 USL Championship appearances, playing over 2,400 minutes and contributing 7 goals and 4 assists. These consistent minutes formed the core of his on-field development, giving him extended opportunities to refine his attacking instincts and adapt to the physical and tactical demands of senior-level play.

2017/19 – Atlanta United

MLS

• Appearances: 11
• Assist: 1

From 2017 to 2019, he recorded 11 MLS appearances and featured in three U.S. Open Cup matches, while also dressing for but not appearing in the Concacaf Champions League and MLS Cup Playoffs. His on-field minutes at the MLS level were limited - standard for a young attacker entering a top-level environment - but daily training under Tata Martino and later Frank de Boer helped shape his professional habits, tactical understanding, and developmental foundation.

This combined period - MLS exposure paired with substantial USL experience - represented the most structured developmental phase of his career. The 2019 season ultimately became his final year within the Atlanta United system before moving on to new opportunities.

Career After Atlanta United

Following his years in Atlanta, Carleton’s career went on to highlight the full spectrum of professional soccer in North America.

2019 – Indy Eleven

USL Championship

• Appearances: 14
• Goal⚽: 1
• Assist: 3
• Yellow Card🟨: 2

Carleton’s first loan move came in 2019 to Indy Eleven, giving him his first extended run of senior professional minutes outside the Atlanta system. He operated mainly as an attacking midfielder, providing link play and creativity in transition.

2021 – Georgia Storm

NPSL

• Appearances: 12
• Goal⚽: 4
• Assist: 3

Statistical totals are based on match reports and club communications, as the NPSL does not maintain centralized archival data.

After a year away from competition in 2020, Carleton joined Georgia Storm in NISA, taking on a central attacking role.

2021 – ADR Jicaral Sercoba

Costa Rica

• Appearances: 1

Public match-by-match data for Liga de Ascenso is incomplete, and no verified match sheet has been found publicly to confirm the exact date or details of that appearance.

In 2022, Carleton signed with ADR Jicaral Sercoba of Costa Rica’s Liga de Ascenso, making one competitive appearance totaling 45 minutes. Although his time in Costa Rica was brief, the move represented an uncommon step for an American attacking midfielder, offering exposure to a new footballing culture and a league known for its technical emphasis. The stint remains one of the more unusual chapters of his professional journey.

This period exposed him to new tactical demands, different technical expectations in tight spaces, and a distinct footballing culture built around possession and rhythm.

While it didn’t work out, it remains one of the most unique chapters in his career; relatively few American players spend time in Central American leagues.

2022 – San Diego Loyal SC

USL Championship

• Appearances: 26
• Goal⚽: 1
• Assist: 1
• Yellow Card🟨: 4

Carleton played one of the most active seasons of his career in 2022 with San Diego Loyal SC, appearing in 28 matches and contributing 1 goal and 2 assists. Operating in a possession-oriented system under Landon Donovan, he was deployed primarily as an attacking midfielder or wide creator. This season marked his most significant involvement at the USL Championship level prior to joining Las Vegas Lights in 2024.

2023 – Las Vegas Lights

USL Championship

• Appearances: 27
• Goal⚽: 2
• Assist: 2
• Yellow Card🟨: 4

He was regularly used as a connector between midfield and the front line, tasked with advancing possession, breaking lines with his dribbling, and supplying final-third service. Although Las Vegas struggled collectively during the season, Carleton carved out a consistent role within the squad. His minutes reflected both trust from the coaching staff and his ability to adapt to the physical demands of a league known for high-intensity transitions and open attacking phases.

The Lights’ environment also offered something he had not experienced since his Atlanta United 2 days - a full, uninterrupted season of professional minutes at the USL Championship level. For Carleton, it was an important return to higher-level competition, providing the kind of structure, repetition, and tactical continuity that had been missing in some of his previous stops.

His 2023 season in Las Vegas stands as one of the more substantial chapters of his post-Atlanta career: a complete season, a defined role, and a chance to reestablish himself in a competitive second-division league.

2024 – Sneaky Fox FC

TST ( The Soccer Tournament )

Carleton competed in the 2024 edition of TST as a member of Sneaky Fox FC, a roster built around former MLS and USL players, top small-sided specialists, and veteran indoor players. The team played a possession-focused, technical style well suited to Carleton’s strengths, advancing through the group stage and into the knockout rounds in a field packed with former professionals.

2025 – Trident FC

TST ( The Soccer Tournament )

In 2025, Carleton returned to TST with Trident FC, a squad built around former USL players, high-level collegiate standouts, and experienced 7v7 specialists. Trident approached the tournament with an emphasis on pace and transitional play, leaning on creative attackers capable of operating in tight spaces. Carleton’s inclusion reflects his technical fit within the tournament’s fast, compact format.

Life After Professional Soccer

Though Carleton has not formally announced his retirement, his post-playing years have included a return to youth development through Fury Performance, an Atlanta-area training outfit he has been publicly involved with. His work there centers on technical development for young players, allowing him to pass on the skill set and experience he gained across MLS, USL, and international environments.

His role in youth development allows him to stay engaged with the game and channel his experience toward supporting the next generation of players.

A Career Marked by Distinct Chapters

From academy standout to Atlanta United’s first Homegrown signing, from MLS to Costa Rica, and through the lower divisions of American soccer, Carleton’s career touched many corners of the professional landscape.

His path was far from conventional, but it illustrates the shifting reality of the American game - one where careers weave through multiple leagues, formats, and levels of competition. Whether in MLS environments, USL rotations, NISA roles, or small-sided tournaments like TST, Carleton’s journey reflects the varied and evolving pathways available to modern players.

Combined Career Totals

• Appearances: 110
• Starts: 69
• Minuts: 6,246
• Goals: 11
• Assists: 12
• Yellow Cards: 4
• Competitions Played: MLS, USL Championship, NPSL, Costa Rica Liga de Ascenso, USOC, CCL

Career Timeline