It was a party atmosphere at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday as Atlanta United unfurled their 2018 MLS Cup championship banner in swift but dynamic fashion ahead of their MLS home opener against FC Cincinnati.
The banner is the first to commemorate any kind of major sports championship to be unveiled in Atlanta since 1995, and the first ever in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which also is the regular home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.
In keeping with the championship theme, legendary boxer Roy Jones Jr. was awarded the honor of hammering the Golden Spike.
Jones is a former world champion in four different weight classes, and at one stage in his career was near-universally regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
Not to be forgotten, of course, were the Five Stripes faithful, who have quickly developed a reputation for strong tifo efforts, and Sunday's was no different. Their page-turning tifo both celebrated last season's MLS Cup success and set the stage for a new chapter in the club's history:
Photo: John David Mercer-USA Today Sports
