Lionel Messi and Argentina electrify Atlanta in victorious Copa América opener (Video)

ATLANTA — They descended on Mercedes-Benz Stadium on foot, by bike, by scooter, by car and by train. They came from all points of the compass and almost all wore the white and sky blue of The Albiceleste. They were disciples of Messi’s church and on Thursday evening their high priest rewarded them.

Lionel Messi and Argentina began their 2021 Copa América title defense on Thursday with a tricky but ultimately inevitable 2-0 victory over Canada. The atmosphere throughout the stadium was much more that of South America, let alone that of the Southeastern Conference, giving American fans a glimpse of the kind of passion that drives football fans on many occasions. other continents than this one.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium has hosted a Super Bowl, several concerts by Beyoncé and the Rolling Stones, a college football national championship and an MLS title game. It’s the usual home of the first week of December for the SEC Championship, and some of America’s most powerful teams of the last half-decade — the Alabama Crimson Tide, the New England Patriots, the Georgia Bulldogs — have won a crucial legacy. -set games here. But we have never seen anything comparable to the South American explosion that radiated through the immense arena on Thursday evening.

An elite soccer game is an all-out assault on the senses, with constantly rotating commercials from brands unfamiliar to American audiences, a mix of stadium standards like “Livin’ On A Prayer” and “Welcome to the Jungle.” with Latin and club rhythms. , fiery MCs scream loud enough into the microphones to overwhelm the overloaded speakers. It’s a thrilling, relentless barrage, and even if you don’t understand every word, you can take delight in the fact that everyone around you is having an ecstatic experience.

After a spectacular opening ceremony to kick off the 48th edition of the Copa América, the match officially begins at 8:06 p.m. local time. There are 22 players on the field, but all eyes are on the Argentine number 10, who set a new Copa América record on Thursday night with his 35th appearance in the tournament.

Messi can spend much of a match wandering around as if waiting for a barista to finish his order. And then, out of nowhere – as if he could predict the future – he’s exactly where he needs to be, like on a 10th-minute breakaway when he fired a shot across the goal that fired right next door. The play may have been offside, but the message to Canada and the world was clear: Messi arrives.

Canada spent most of the first half fending off Argentina’s initial attack, with just enough push back – like an Alphonso Davies penalty and a Liam Millar follow-up close enough to leave the crowd wondering. out of breath – to stop anyone in sky blue and white from getting too comfortable. And when Canadian Stephen Eustaquio almost brought the ball home in the 43rd minute, the Argentines’ nerves were frayed a little further.

At halftime, stadium crews watered most of the newly laid natural turf, trying to bring a little more consistency and stability to a surface much different from the usual NFL stadium turf. The viability and durability of natural grass laid over artificial turf will be a key question not only at next month’s Copa América, but also at the world’s biggest tournament coming to American shores in two years’ time. Eleven of the 16 stadiums planned to host World Cup games are NFL stadiums, and many of them, including Atlanta, have turf fields. Football purists are just as focused on field agronomy as golf aficionados, and any trace of imperfection will invite harsh criticism.

“We knew for seven months that we were going to play here and they changed the turf two days ago,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said after the match. “We didn’t play on a decent pitch. It was similar to (Saudi) Arabia, but with the difference that we played on a proper pitch there. It can’t be like that.”

Whether the turf is natural or artificial, there is a certain symmetry in the fact that the Copa América began in a stadium that hosted some of the most important moments in recent college soccer history: the second and 26th victory in extension of Alabama’s national championship against Georgia. in 2018, then Georgia’s midnight playoff semifinal victory over Ohio State in 2022. Of all American sports, college football comes closest to unprecedented, unabashed reverence that South American fans have for football.

Fat-cheeked babies flying the Argentinian flag, young boys and old men taking off their shirts and twirling them above their heads, the complex cheers and chants that come out of nowhere and surround the stadium, the energy constant nervousness that vibrates through the stadium. crowd…it all creates a fervent, passionate atmosphere that, to Americans, may be foreign in detail but very familiar in its intensity.

Canada fought well in the first half, but reality hit the Canucks early in the second. Argentina’s Julian Álvarez, taking a break from his day job at Manchester City, converted after Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau collided with Álvarez’s teammate Alexis Mac Allister, leaving the goal wide open for a easy shot.

Messi ignited the crowd in the 65th minute, almost turning into a one-on-one that was both graceful and balletic from Leo, and desperate and eager from Canada. Desperation won this time.

Another highlight moment almost came about 10 minutes later, when Messi broke free again with only Crépeau between him and the goal – but a collision with Crépeau ended the threat, leaving Messi sprawled face down on the ground on the grass and most of the crowd quite angry. to open the retractable stadium roof:

The stab came in the 88th minute, when Messi served Lautaro Martínez for a superb takedown:

This match was a rare match that constitutes a victory of sorts for both teams: Argentina obviously gets all three points for the win, but Canada gained confidence knowing they can race with the best in the world…and that he can take a few. comfort in the fact that Crépeau and the Canadian defense denied Messi on two easy chances. It’s not as good as a win, or even a draw, but it’s something.

As for Messi and Argentina, after a slow start, they entered the Copa América showing that they weren’t quite ready to give up their title yet. And now American fans also have an idea on how to improve their game.