GROWING UP IN Atlanta, Caleb Wiley is part of the first generation of soccer players to be heavily influenced by an Atlanta United organization that served as the city’s local club. No longer did players have to tune in on TV to watch professional soccer, but rather they had the opportunity to witness it in their hometown.

While this true in most MLS markets, Atlanta United was gripping right from their inaugural season in 2017. By 2018, the team won MLS Cup after being coached by Tata Martino and being led by club legends such as Miguel Almiron, Josef Martinez, and Michael Parkhurst. In turn, the city embraced the club with regular attendances that far exceeded 40,000 per game.

Wiley, 17, is one of the top prospects to come out of the city and, like many of his peers, Atlanta United was part of his inspiration. He joined the team’s academy before the inaugural MLS season and then come 2018, was even a ball boy at MLS Cup when United defeated Portland 2-0 in front of 73,000 fans at Mercedes Benz Stadium. In January of this year, he signed a homegrown contract.

 “I would always remember going to the first team games and I was like a U-12 kid,” Wiley told ASN. “I remember just saying to myself that I want to be on that field one day. I want to experience that feeling of playing in front of thousands of fans in my hometown. I wanted it so badly that I worked every single day for it to happen. We have a great academy. I was able to be coached by amazing coaches. I knew that the process was going to be right, and that I was going to be able to trust it, and it was going to get me to where I wanted - which was where I am today.”

Wiley is now no just a regular starter for Atlanta United, he is also one of the country’s top left back prospects. This season, Wiley has played in 19 of Atlanta United’s 26 games with 15 of the appearances coming from the starting lineup.

In January, Atlanta United sold George Bello to Arminia Bielefeld in Germany – in part to help clear the way for Wiley – but there were other factors which have kept Wiley on the field. Injuries helped open the door for Wiley to play but his own positive performances have kept in in head coach Gonzalo Pineda’s plans. Of course, there have been tough learning lessons endured.

When Andrew Gutman returned from injury, Wiley has had to shift to more of a wing position at times as Pineda has wanted to keep his best players on the field – which means Wiley. In July, Wiley lost focus and was responsible for conceding a penalty in a 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls.

But the club has allowed him to play through those mistakes and despite him not turning 18 until after the season, Wiley has made huge strides in his game.

Here is the goal from 17 year old Caleb Wiley. pic.twitter.com/2VugX7ioH9

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) February 27, 2022

“I think it's been a great learning experience,” Wiley said of his season. “I faced lots of challenges that have been tough, but I've been able to go right past them and it's been a good time. I really enjoyed it. I was not expecting to start as many games as I am. Unfortunately, we've had so many injuries, but I was mentally and physically prepared to step right in. At the beginning of the season, I was not thinking that I would play this much.”

Speaking after Atlanta’s 2-1 win over Seattle where Wiley was very effective over 90 minutes in the win, Pineda spoke highly of the teenager.

“I cannot tell you enough good things about Caleb Wiley - in general, not just this game,” Pineda said. “The progression of his development, the little mistakes he's had in a couple of his games but the reaction to that has been very good. Not just in the games, but in the training sessions - and I reflect a lot in the training sessions because what I see in the training sessions normally is a concept of what's in the game. He's like that.”

“We have had a lot of injuries,” Pineda continued. “If Andrew Gutman is not injured, maybe Caleb isn't playing that many minutes in that position, maybe he's more of a winger and not as a left back. But good for him. All these experiences will help him.”

The transition from the youth ranks to the first team level is tricky for any teenager and Wiley is no exception. One of the hallmarks of the Atlanta United academy is the incorporation of youth players to train with the first team.

For Wiley, he was only recently on the other side the equation. Now he is on the first team and is asked to mentor some of the academy players, many of whom are in his age group.

“Even today in training, we had a few academy guys involved in the training,” Wiley explained. “But even the past few months there's been lots of the academy guys, which is really good for them to get that experience, that first team experience. It's really good for them. It's definitely weird for me [now on the other side] because, I know some of them really well, but it's pretty cool that they do look up at me and they asked me for advice.”

Atlanta United wants to a perennial contender in MLS and is willing to spend money on top players but since the 2018 season, it has not been among the elite teams in the league. In 2020, the team failed to make the post season. In 2021, they were bounced in the first round.

In 2022, Atlanta is looking at an uphill climb to make the post season. With eight games remaining, Atlanta sits in 13^th place in the 14-team Eastern Conference and is five points out of the playoff picture. This weekend, Atlanta hosts a reeling DC United team in what is likely a “must win” for the team to have a chance at the post season.

“When you're in a situation where we are, you have to you have to have a belief in the team,” Wiley said. “All the guys are very positive, having a positive mindset. That's very important. Going into these games we can't be down on ourselves. We have to be together. We have to stick together through it all. Hopefully we'll now start to have a good run of games.”

The international game is also heavily on Wiley’s mind these days. United States U-20 national team head coach Mikey Varas called Wiley up to the first three camps of the cycle starting last November. Atlanta United, however, did not release him for June’s CONCACAF U-20 Championships, which served as qualification for both the 2023 U-20 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics.

In the end, the U.S. U-20 team dominated the tournament and qualified for both tournament (ending the three-cycle skid of failing to qualify for the Olympics). Wiley revealed that he watched every one of the team’s games has been in constant contact with the team.

With qualification now secure, playing at next summer’s U-20 World Cup is something that is circled on Wiley’s calendar. While Atlanta United frequently opts to not release players for key youth national team games, Wiley hopes to be part of it.

“It's special group of players, special group of coaches,” Wiley said. “I watched almost all their matches in the CONCACAF. They did really well. My first U-20 call up was last November in Mexico for [the Revelations Cup] tournament. Being surrounded by these other MLS youngsters that are doing really well and getting a great experience playing against these other big international teams was really cool for me.”

“I was talking with Mikey [Varas] two days ago,” he added. “Being a part of the U-20 World Cup is what I want. That's kind the big goalfor the team - to reach the World Cup, which we did - and then go there to compete to win. That's something that I'm looking forward to being a part of.”