ATLANTA — Atlanta United announced Monday that forward Tito Villalba has obtained his U.S. green card and no longer occupies an international spot on the club’s roster.
Villalba, 23, signed with Atlanta United on July 22, 2016. He started all 34 matches and tallied 13 goals and 11 assists, becoming one of only four players in MLS to finish with double-digits in both categories during the 2017 season. He also led the team in both shots (86) and shots on goal (44) and won MLS Goal of the Week three times, including his game-winning 30-yard strike at Orlando City on July 21 that was voted MLS Goal of the Year.
Villalba joined Atlanta after spending more than a decade with his hometown club San Lorenzo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, beginning in the youth academy at the age of 10. By age 21, Villalba had made more than 100 first team appearances for San Lorenzo, scoring 16 goals with 13 assists.
