Josh Cohen, announced Thursday as Atlanta United’s newest signing, said he wants to compete with Brad Guzan in hopes of it making them both better.
Cohen, 31, joins Atlanta United after spending the previous four years at Maccabi Haifi in Israel, where he made 161 appearances, won three league titles and appeared in the Champions League against Juventus and Paris-Saint Germain, featuring Lionel Messi and Neymar. Cohen’s contract is through 2025 with an option for 2026.
“It’s a goalkeeper union,” Cohen said. “I’m coming in to work hard to push myself as much as possible and him to push me and then see who can earn a Saturday job. And that’s always the goal no matter what department or in what position you’re in.”
Guzan, 39, is under contract through 2024, with an option for 2025. Guzan, Atlanta United’s captain, has made 167 regular-season appearances since joining the club before the 2017 season.
Cohen said he’s met Guzan twice. Both were brief. One time was last season when Atlanta United was in Los Angeles. The other was recently.
No matter who has been Atlanta United’s manager, the team’s preferred style of play requires goalkeepers to be able to pass the ball. Cohen said he played a bit of the “sweeper keeper” role in Israel and expects that the coaching staff will continue to help him improve.
“Josh is someone with a unique career path who has backed himself at every step of his journey,” Atlanta United Vice President Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement from the club. “He has shown the ability to compete at the highest level in the UEFA Europa League and Champions League. We are pleased to welcome Josh to the club and look forward to him coming in and competing within our goalkeeping group.”
Cohen said he had options within Europe when his contract expired. He said nothing was exciting enough to influence him to commit. He wanted to explore MLS. Atlanta United and Cohen had contract discussions in August. Cohen’s agent accused Atlanta United of bad-faith negotiations. The league refuted his claim. Cohen said Thursday that “negotiations can be tough sometimes.”
Cohen eventually signed with Atlanta United for many reasons, including that it consistently fields a strong team. The club finished in sixth place in the East this season. Another part of the reason why is that Cohen said being in MLS may help improve his chances of playing for the U.S. men’s national team. He’s been called into past camps but has yet to appear in a match. The 2026 World Cup will be played in North America, with some matches scheduled to be played in Atlanta.
“Just the league itself and the time change in Israel, it’s difficult to get visibility for the national team,” he said. “Being in MLS, definitely hoping to get one more exposure, a lot more visibility for the national team staff and hoping that I can continue to improve and do well and show well for them.
Cohen, a California native, hasn’t played in MLS. He moved from the USL, where he played for Orange County from 2015-16, and then Phoenix in 2017, to Israel. But Cohen knows the league. He grew up 10 minutes from San Jose. He spoke via zoom to journalists Thursday from a deck in Santa Barbara, Calif., with beautiful trees and the sun shining behind him in a visual metaphor for his thoughts on MLS.
“I think it’s one of the highest growth leads in the world,” he said. “If you watch games from just four or five years ago, and the games today, they look way different. And I think the quality has improved to see the play and then also the production value, too.”
Atlanta United roster (as of Thursday)
Goalkeepers (2): Josh Cohen and Brad Guzan.
Defenders (7): Luis Abram, Noah Cobb, Ronald Hernández, Brooks Lennon, Aiden McFadden, Efraín Morales and Caleb Wiley.
Midfielders (11): Thiago Almada, Derrick Etienne Jr., Nick Firmino*, Ajani Fortune, Franco Ibarra, Saba Lobjanidze, Edwin Mosquera, Tristan Muyumba, Santiago Sosa, Adyn Torres* and Tyler Wolff.
Forwards (5): Luke Brennan*, Erik Centeno, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Xande Silva and Jamal Thiaré.
*Will join Atlanta United effective Jan. 1.
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