Copa America is here - can it push the game forward in the U.S.? (2024)

There was a moment, about 40 minutes before kickoff, when it became apparent that the first night of the Copa America was going to live up to the billing.

The names of Argentina’s starting lineup cycled through the circular jumbotron that hangs atop the angular roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. As each name was called, the energy built. The 70,000-plus fans who had taken their seats, most of them wearing sky blue and white, were waiting.

When the announcer called out Lionel Messi’s name, the stadium erupted. Anyone in the building wearing an Apple Watch immediately got an alert. The noise was deafening.

That roar set the stage for an entertaining game worthy of opening a Copa America tournament that some hope is one of the centerpieces of a crucial era for soccer in America.

Soccer is as popular as it has ever been in this country thanks to the globalization of the sport and easy access to the world’s best leagues and players. Fans can turn on their TVs on a Saturday morning and watch the Premier League. They can flip on CBS on a weekday afternoon and tune in to a Champions League battle.

This summer, though, is the start of a chance to see those players in competitive games in their very own backyard. Over the next three years, the U.S. will host this Copa, the Club World Cup and the World Cup. It is a chance not just to see Messi, but also Angel Di Maria, Julian Alvarez, Alexis Mac Allister and Emiliano Martinez; to watch Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Luis Diaz, Alphonso Davies and Darwin Nunez.

The hope is that those players put on a show and entertain not just the fans who already tune in, but those who have just a passing interest. In doing so, can they push the game forward? It is about exposure to the spectacle of the sport.

Pop onto social media and you can find the culture in the streets of Germany for the Euros – the Albanian fan snapping spaghetti in front of Italians or Scottish fans singing on their way to the stadium. If you walked through downtown Atlanta on Wednesday or Thursday, it would have been difficult to avoid the fact a game was coming. Fans draped in Argentina’s flag wandered the streets and stood outside the Westin Peachtree banging their drums and dancing, crowding around an idling bus hoping to catch a glimpse of Messi.

Organizers hope these scenes will be repeated in cities like Dallas, Miami, Houston, and Kansas City.

The product on the field must deliver, too, and Thursday’s game was a good start.

After the match, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni lamented the quality of the field. Grass was laid on turf earlier this week. Martinez said the pitch played like a trampoline. Both said the fields will have to get better if they want the standard to be better.

The entertainment level for those at home and in the stadium, though, was just fine. Argentina and Canada traded blows. Both sides created chances — and exciting ones at that.

Twice Messi broke in on goal alone. Twice Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who plays for the Portland Timbers, denied him. Di Maria sprinted in for a breakaway with Crepeau. He, too, was turned away.

Canada pushed forward through the left side, mainly through Davies, who has been rumored to be making a switch from Bayern Munich to Real Madrid. But Martinez, a World Cup hero for Argentina, saved Stephen Eustáquio’s header from close range.

In the second half, Argentina finally broke through and of course it was Messi who led the way. A gorgeous through ball to Mac Allister split the Canada back line and set up Alvarez’s finish. Then, another beautiful ball to Lautaro Martinez rounded off the game in the final minutes.

“This is what I say about Messi, I’ve coached against him several times and I feel like we’ve had a good match plan and that we’ve executed a lot of good things, but he’s so good,” Canada coach Jesse Marsch said. “He’s that good that he still makes plays. The two balls he makes on the two goals I think are world class. Amazing. I mean, it’s awful (to coach against) and it’s amazing.”

After each goal, the stadium echoed the notes of the “Muchachos” anthem from 2022. The people got what they came for and the party spilled back out onto the streets of Atlanta.

Now, the spectacle of the Copa America will try to force its way into the public consciousness across the country.

(Top photo: Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Paul Tenorio is a senior writer for The Athletic who covers soccer. He has previously written for the Washington Post, the Orlando Sentinel, FourFourTwo, ESPN and MLSsoccer.com. Follow Paul on Twitter @PaulTenorio