From the top of the stadium, it was difficult to find a spot in the crowd of 53,885 where a fan wasn't wearing the famed striped jersey of the South American country. And while there were some outliers, nearly every jersey shared the same last name and number on the back: Messi, 10.
In the crowd filled with duplicate No. 10 jerseys, almost every eye was set on the man of the hour. He's the superstar, the "La Pulga Atomica" or "Atomic Flea," as fans in Argentina have nicknamed him. He was the reason they were there, and he didn't disappoint.
There was fear the superstar wouldn't play because of a lower back injury, but when Messi entered the game in the 61st minute of Argentina's 5-0 Copa America victory over Panama, the crowd erupted in cheers. Every time he touched the ball, it was hard to hear yourself think.
And when the ball deflected off of his teammate's face and landed right in front of him for an easy goal in the 68th minute, it was as if the game followed a fairy tale plot for a 2-0 Argentine margin.
Then, as if to add an exclamation point, he did it again, and again. Scoring on a free kick from the right side in the 78th minute, he gave his team an insurmountable 3-0 lead. Incredibly, Messi notched a hat trick in the 87th minute with his third goal off a scramble in front of the net.
Sergio Aguero finished the scoring with a goal in the 89th minute.
Seeing arguably the best soccer player in the world was an opportunity Tim Fergan, 43, of Detroit couldn't refuse, no matter the uncertainty about whether Messi was going to play.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Fergan said. "We came over this morning. It's going to be (my son's) 10th birthday in about a week, so we had to make the trip over."
Messi's influence on soccer was seen all around the stadium. A group of fans hovered around the players' tunnel, like many waited around the team's hotel, in hope of getting a high-five from the midfielder.
Agustin Ortiz, 23, of Miami noticed Messi's influence during his short time in Chicago. The Argentine native made plans for the weekend trip once he saw that the tournament was going to be in the U.S., but he noticed the difference, especially in the fan zone outside of the stadium. While there were many fans from Argentina, the crowd was filled with people from all over the country, showcasing the shift in the popularity of soccer that Messi has caused among Americans.
"Most of the people here aren't even from Argentina or Panama," Ortiz said. "They're here because they love Messi, they love Aguero, and I think (soccer) will continue to grow."
Argentina and Panama entered Friday's game at the top of the Group D standings, with the winner of the matchup advancing to the quarterfinals.
Argentina jumped out with a quick lead when defender Nicolas Otamendi scored in the seventh minute on a pass from forward Angel Dimaria. The opportunity was set up after Panama's forward Blas Perez earned a yellow card.
After that, Panama had many chances.
The referee awarded six yellow cards by the 31st minute, two of which went to Panama midfielder Anibal Godoy, forcing his team to play down a man after the 31st minute.
Although it took until the second half for him to enter, Messi made it worth the risk.
"It's great; it's a unique opportunity (to see Messi)," Ortiz said. "It's not one you get all the time, so you have to take advantage."
There were plenty fans who took the chance.
0 comments:
Post a Comment