With the Major League Soccer season off to a roaring start, certain young players have already made the jump from developmental spots into the starting lineup. Earning minutes at a young age is often crucial for future success, with the opportunity to play against adults considered the best way to push prospects above and beyond their comfort zones. Noah Cobb is three years into his professional career and seeing regular inclusion for his club. The 18-year-old Atlanta United centre-back has impressed observers with his performances and looks to be on a rapid ascension to the next level.
Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Cobb played with East Ridge FC and Chattanooga FC before joining the Atlanta United academy at the U-12 level, winning the Manchester City Cup with the U-14 team. Initially deployed as a midfielder, he rose through the ranks before being promoted to the reserves in 2021. His first season in the USL Championship involved 11 appearances at the age of 15, followed by 26 the following year after signing a professional contract that would escalate to a senior deal. The league selected him for the MLS Next All-Star Game after “starring at the Generation adidas Cup and MLS NEXT Flex” and making the bench for a MLS match.
The 2023 season was split between the reserve and senior levels. With Atlanta United 2, Cobb made 18 appearances and starts, contributing three goals and one assist. His first-team debut came in a 6-1 loss to Columbus, but the defender also featured in three other matches and was often included on the bench. The challenge was in building quotidian consistency, but the teenager was able to impress with his ability to read the game and showcase “great” defensive instincts.
This year, Cobb has taken a massive step forward and become a key contributor for Atlanta United, taking advantage of absences in the squad. He went the full 90 minutes at centre-back in four consecutive matches and started in the fifth (substituting out with “a migraine headache that was affecting his vision”). Picking up a shutout in the 3-0 victory over Chicago Fire FC, his play was described as “outstanding,” having become “more impressive when on the ball.”
“I think just playing his own game [will be important],” said manager Gonzalo Pineda. “He was a different level [in this year’s preseason] compared to last year, completely different. So, for me, when you look at the development of young players, you have to accept some of the up-and-downs in their careers. I think this year Noah has been very stable, very mature… Noah is very vocal, which is something that I really like for center-backs.”
At the international level, Cobb has represented the United States program in the U-19 team. Atlanta United executive and former USMNT captain Carlos Bocanegra believes that the young defender has “senior national team potential.” He will be eligible for the 2025 U-20 World Cup cycle and could be a important figure during the CONCACAF U-20 Championship this upcoming summer.
Listed at six-foot-one-inch tall, Cobb lines up at both centre-back spots (along with fullback) and appears to have more success in the right-side role. A solid sense of positioning enables him to avoid being caught out of place in dangerous areas, while his pace is useful in tracking down opponents that get behind the back line. Quick to go to ground for well-timed slide tackles, his sense of timing and body control are both excellent. Additionally, he is able to make the necessary incidental touches to steer the ball to safely and avoid pressure from the opponent, ideally buying time before playing a low, driven pass forward. Observers praise him as a “humble, hardworking player,” as well as “intelligent and aggressive” with a “very, very high ceiling” and an “aggression in him.” Footwork and “body shape” have been areas of improvement in order to give himself a better “foundation” with which to win aerial duels and streamline clearances.
One of his standout qualities is a confidence beyond his years. “I felt comfortable when I have the ball,” Cobb told The Striker. “I’m not afraid to make a mistake. I’ll always trust my ability and always, always trust my instinct. If I think I can play a pass. I’ll play the pass. If I make a mistake, I want to make a mistake playing brave and playing true to myself, not shying away from anything. Now, with that being said, you have to be smart with the ball. But what I’m trying to say is that I’ll always back myself, always trust myself to play a pass, always believe in myself to be able to complete whatever action on the ball that I’m trying to complete.”
Finding players with the skill set and composure to handle the centre-back position can be a difficult feat, to say nothing of a teenager shouldering the challenges of a role in which a single mistake can lead directly to a goal. Cobb has been on a patient development process since joining the professional ranks at the age of 15 and should continue to receive further opportunities, provided that his play continues to improve. If he is able to hold down a spot in the starting lineup, then there could be further opportunities presented to the young talent, both at the international level and abroad.
