A Legion United: Part I
This group is supporting Atlanta’s newest sports franchise, but is Uniting some of its long-time citizens
It’s still a small group, in relation to the sprawling city it calls home. Do yourself a favor though. Don’t equate numbers with passion. If the latter is the true measure of community, Terminus Legion is building something special here in Atlanta.
The non-profit group spawned out of the ATL wants MLS campaign in 2011, and organized officially two months before the city was awarded a team in 2014. Today they prepare for Atlanta United FC’s inaugural season as one of the team’s official supporter groups.
But Terminus Legion is more than a collection of soccer fans. In a lot of ways, they are a picture of our growing city. Diversity is inherent in the group, and in its values statement it highlights positivity and inclusivity as pillars it holds to be paramount.
Over the next few weeks, as the city prepares for a new era in its sports a soccer history, we will bring you the stories of Terminus Legion, its members, and the lead up to Atlanta United FC’s debut on March 5th. In Part I we introduce TL member Matheus Gonçalves.
A Natural Fit
Matheus Gonçalves came to the United States, and to Atlanta, in 2012 with a world of challenges before him. At 30 years old, he was leaving his entire family in his home country of Brazil. His mom passed away when he was five, leaving his Father, older brother and younger sister as his main support system. Now they would be a hemisphere away.
If that didn’t provide enough to isolate him, add in the fact that he spoke no English, and as a software engineer he was sent here by his company to help cover some projects in the American market. All of this while learning a brand new language … from scratch.
Upon arrival he started searching for his place in the community. Considering his roots, soccer (or Futbol) seemed to be a logical place to start.
“I grew up in a poor part of Sao Paulo, and the only thing we could have at that time to have some fun was playing soccer,” Gonçalves recalled. “We had a ball, we had some flip flops, and that’s all we need… Soccer is part of my life. It’s basically something that defined who I am.”
A die-hard fan of S.C. Corninthians Paulista (one of the major clubs in the top Brazilian league), Gonçalves definitely backs up his fanhood with hard evidence. He’s the proud owner of a double-digit jersey collection featuring teams from South America and Europe. One Corinthians jersey even sported the autographs from several members of Brazil’s most recent world championship team. But hewas looking for a team to support in his new hometown. While the city hadn’t been granted an MLS team as of yet, it was clear to him that the soccer comminuty was alive and well in ATL.
“Atlanta loves soccer,” Gonçalves said. “The passion about soccer is incredible … For me that was the point that I realized ‘Ok, I can live here’.”
He quickly realized he was not alone in the desire for an Atlantan club to root for, and a couple of internet searches finally introduced him to Terminus Legion.
“It’s an amazing group of people. It’s not only about soccer, but helping the community, spreading the word about soccer,” said Gonçalves. “I felt at home. I said ‘OK, this is a supporter’s group I want to be a part of.’”
Matheus is now an active member of Terminus Legion, spearheading the organization’s efforts to bring in more of the Brazilian community. He even runs a portugese version of the organization’s twitter account.
Meanwhile, Gonçalves has made a home for himself in Atlanta. He’s now married, and lives in Buckhead. But in 2016, things finally came full circle when Weimar Gonçalves, Matheus’ father, finally got to visit his son in Atlanta.
“My dad is my hero,” this younger Gonçalves confided. “He never had the chance to fly to a different country. Since I moved to the U.S., one of my biggest goals was to bring my dad here to experience a different country, a differnt culture … Last year I could provide that for him. He could see snow for the first time … He was like a kid on Christmas morning. He was so excited. For me, that was like a dream come true.”
“Since I moved to the U.S., one of my biggest goals was to bring my dad here to experience a different country, a differnt culture … For me, that was like a dream come true.”
Another dream is set to come true in a few short days for Terminus Legion as Atlanta United FC will play in front of their fans in Atlanta for the first time. It’s a moment Gonçalves has been looking forward to for some time.
“I am having dreams about going to the stadium with Terminus Legion … Seeing for the first time a soccer team from Atlanta playing in MLS in a city that loves soccer. It’s going to be amazing.”
