The Oregon State defensive midfielder brings an interesting skill set to a young 2’s team.
Yesterday, January 18, Atlanta United 2 announced the official signing of 2nd round 2024 SuperDraft selection Javier Armas. The MLS NEXT Pro contract is guaranteed for the 2024 season with a club option in 2025.
Rounding out the midfield ⚔️
¡Bienvenido a Atlanta! pic.twitter.com/RDzpSna4Zq
— ATL UTD 2 (@atlutd2) January 18, 2024
Armas, the 48th pick in an impressive Atlanta draft class, was an All-American and member of the All Pac-12 First Team in 2023. The 5’11” 24-year old arrives from Oregon State, who he helped lead to the Final Four of the NCAA Division I Collegiate Cup. Over his 77 career matches in 5 years, he has totaled 6 goals and 10 assists, and he became a constant 20-game starter in his senior season. Before going to college in the United States, Armas was born in La Coruña, Spain and spent 9 years in the Deportivo de La Coruña academy.
Javier can play as both a defensive midfielder and as a center back, regularly filling both roles for Oregon State. He has an incredible long-range shooting ability and unbelievable footwork for a #6. Do not be fooled, he is a defensive-minded player, as he does sit deep in the midfield and is a solid tackler, especially coming from recovery positions on an opposition’s counter attack. His technical ability allows him to orchestrate his team’s transitional play from defense to attack. The transitional play is also aided by his accurate passing in the air switching the field of play and with through balls to his wingers.
Armas will be looking to be a consistent starter and leader in a revamped, extremely young Atlanta United 2 squad. He will be seen as a mentor and competition for 16-year old Homegrown signing and midfielder/defender Aydn Torres. The best-case scenario would be for Armas to replace Dax McCarty (who will most likely retire soon) as the backup 6 for the first team within a year or two. He has the potential, but will he be able to prove himself in MLS NEXT Pro?
For this article, I am the replacement writer for our Atlanta United 2 and collegiate expert Grey Gowder. If you want to listen to him expand more into detail on Javier Armas, you can watch that on the Scarves and Spikes SuperDraft review episode, linked here:
If you want to see highlights of Javier Armas for yourself, here are the best highlight reels of him available:
Let’s officially welcome Javier Armas to Atlanta United!