ATLANTA — Ninety minutes before kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the first roar went up from the crowd, or at least, those who had already taken their seats. Out on the pitch, nothing was happening. But the fans had caught their first glimpse of Lionel Messi on the stadium’s giant, wraparound screen, as he walked smiling into the arena alongside teammate Rodrigo De Paul.
In theory, this Copa América opening game between Argentina and Canada was played on neutral ground. In reality, the home of MLS‘ Atlanta United and the NFL‘s Atlanta Falcons became the home of La Albiceleste, as they won 2-0 on the night.
Everywhere you looked, inside and outside the stadium, there were blue-and-white shirts. The stadium announcer’s attempts to get some pro-Canada chants going prematch were met with bemused silence.
This crowd was…
