November 13, 2019 is one of the worst days in the history of the Five Stripes

The day Darlington Nagbe left Atlanta United

It wasn’t the coach. It wasn’t the injury to Josef. It wasn’t a global shutdown. It wasn’t the transfer of any player to Europe or South America.

I was always about one man. Darlington Nagbe.

Photo Credit: Atlanta United official website

One man in the midfield that was the glue to hold it all together. One man in the midfield to keep things on schedule. One man in the midfield to put out any fires. One man in the midfield to be the safety outlet for any player under pressure.

Atlanta United was never the championship team before or after the Nagbe era in the 404. Here is why Darlington Nagbe took the Five Stripes to championship form and why this hasn’t happened since his departure on November 13, 2019.

Darlington Nagbe is a winner. Nagbe claimed four Ohio North youth soccer state titles playing for the Cleveland Internationals in his early playing career. He then helped the University of Akron win the NCAA D1 National Championship in 2010 before winning MLS Cup with the Portland Timbers in 2015. After the departure of Timbers Head Coach Caleb Porter following the 2017 season, Nagbe made the move to Atlanta in December 2017 for a fee of $1.05 million in allocation money.

Immediately Nagbe provided the balance and timing to the Atlanta midfield that allowed the Five Stripes’ attackers to play with freedom and flair as Nagbe always minded the dangerous pockets of space left behind by the dynamic movements of the team. You often didn’t even notice he was in the lineup until he arrived at just the right time to provide just the right moment on the ball to make it all run so smoothly.

In 2018 Nagbe made 28 appearances including all five playoff matches pushing the Five Stripes to an MLS Cup victory over his former employers the Portland Timbers. “Calming to the midfield with superb technical ability and high soccer IQ” is how the “Box-to-Box” midfielder was described in the press.

Photo Credit: Major League Soccer official website

Nagbe missed almost three months of the 2018 season due to injury but made an immediate influence on the team in his return versus the Rapids.

Teammate Miguel Almiron summed up Nagbe’s return by saying, “Every player is important, but Nagbe is a very special player. We missed him a lot, so I’m glad he was able to get healthy and be back on the field.”

2019 saw Nagbe make 46 appearances in the Five Stripes lifting both the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and Campeones Cup over Minnesota United and Club America, respectively. Atlanta United Head Coach Frank De Boer called Nagbe "the cement between the bricks" in the Atlanta midfield.

Nagbe grew restless in Atlanta as long-term contract negotiations bogged down during the 2019 season and Nagbe requested a trade after the season to return home to Ohio and the Columbus Crew to be reunited with Head Coach Caleb Porter.

Nagbe exited the club on November 13, 2019 for the sum of $1.5 million in allocation money just two weeks after the crushing Eastern Conference Final loss to Toronto FC on October 30. Say what you like about the team moving forward from this trade, but the midfield possession, style, flair, and distribution just haven’t been the same championship form that was seen with Nagbe patrolling those spaces.

Nagbe then helped push the Crew to the 2020 MLS Cup in the Covid-shortened season making 19 appearances scoring the MLS 2020 goal of the year (also scored goal of the year in 2011). Ironically, he missed the Final after testing positive for Covid-19 as the team defeated the Sounders 3-0 to raise the Cup.

Then in 2021, Nagbe made 37 appearances helping the Crew defeat Cruz Azul to claim another Campeones Cup.

2023 was another 44 appearances in the Crew midfield and this time he captained his team to MLS Cup in a 2-1 victory over LAFC. Nagbe in the win became just the tenth player in MLS history to win four MLS Cup titles. After the season, Nagbe inked a two-year deal with an additional option through 2026.

Photo Credit: Columbus Crew official website

2024 was just another season winning a Cup with Nagbe with Columbus defeating LAFC 3-1 in the Leagues Cup final.

In his 14 MLS seasons, Nagbe has made 491 career appearances in all competitions with four MLS Cup titles, two Campeones Cups, one US Open Cup and one Leagues Cup.

Two key storylines are still the same as the 2025 season opens this coming weekend:

Darlington Nagbe is a winner.

Atlanta United just hasn’t been the same since November 13, 2019 as the club has looked to countless players looking to “win” the midfield the way Darlington Nagbe plays the game…