ATLANTA – Atlanta United 2 announced Friday the return of eight players from last year’s team and the addition of three new players to the roster ahead of the club’s first season in MLS NEXT Pro. Goalkeeper Sebastián Guerra, midfielder Kofi Twumasi and forward Karim Tmimi will join ATL UTD 2, pending league and federation approval.
Goalkeeper Vicente Reyes, defenders Raimar and Nelson Orji, midfielders Nick Firmino, David Mejia, Emenike Nwogu, Toni Tiente and Jonantan Villal all return to ATL UTD 2 for another season. Raimar led this group with four goals and six assists, while former Academy products Mejia and Villal combined for five assists. Reyes made 16 starts in goal and finished the campaign with 85 saves.
Guerra came through Colombian club Atlético Nacional’s academy before signing a professional contract in 2019. He made his professional debut on Nov. 29, 2020 in a playoff match against CD América. After the season, Guerra was loaned to Valledupar F.C. in Colombia’s second division. He went on to make three appearances with Valledupar before returning to Nacional. On the international stage, Guerra has been called into Colombia’s U-20 and U-23 squads, including being a member of the Colombian team that played for Olympic qualification in 2020.
Twumasi is a defensive midfielder who grew up in Ghana. His professional career began in 2017 when he was signed by FC Viitoryl in Romania. After a couple of seasons he was loaned to FC Universitatea Cluj where he made 12 appearances in the Romanian second division. He continued his career in Germany, playing for Rot Weiss Oberhausen and VfB Homberg. In total, Twumasi has made 49 professional appearances and scored two goals.
Tmimi is coming off a prolific college career at Georgia Gwinnett College. He scored 36 goals in 47 games played for the Grizzlies, including scoring 18 goals and adding 10 assists during his final campaign. He was honored as a first team NAIA All-American team selection and the 2022 Continental Athletic Conference Player of the Year. The Poitiers, France native led the team to the quarterfinal round of the 2022 NAIA National Championships.
2023 Atlanta United 2 roster (as of January 13, 2023)
Goalkeepers (2): Sebastian Guerra, Vicente Reyes
Defenders (2): Raimar, Nelson Orji
Midfielders (6) Nick Firmino, David Mejia, Emenike Nwogu, Toni Tiente, Kofi Twumasi, Jonantan Villal
Forwards (1): Karim Tmimi
