Lionel Messi mania descends on San Jose as Earthquakes welcome Inter Miami, perhaps the greatest player ever
SAN JOSE Lionel Messi isn t just a soccer competitor he s a global phenomenon Fans come from all over the world to see him play wherever he suits up He is after all perhaps the best the event has ever seen Messi a member of MLS club Inter Miami came to San Jose on Wednesday for a match against the San Jose Earthquakes gracing the South Bay with his presence for the first time since his appearance with Argentina in the Copa America Centenario And thousands of fans came to PayPal Park right along with him Messi s appeal was such that the west concourse backed up with fans waiting to catch a glimpse of the Argentine megastar They threw tailgate parties while flooding the parking lots and plazas surrounding the stadium with pink flamingo jerseys hours before kickoff Mariachi bands went station to station to entertain the robust and vibrant tailgate crowd A scant fans took things to the next level sporting full head-to-toe pink Messi garb complete with soccer cleats They were ready to pay tribute to a sporting icon Really I just requested to see Messi in person commented Jaxon Strehle of San Rafael who was outfitted with a complete Messi kit for the occasion See Miami play against the Earthquakes I know I m from around California but I still like Messi too much So I m cheering for Miami in this competition Divided loyalties were a common theme Despite a majority of fans wearing Miami gear the Quakes were well spoken for as well Angela De La Torre and Alex Santana are San Jose season-ticket holders yet Santana walked in with a Messi jersey on Certain things just can t be helped when a certain athlete comes to town I started becoming a fan of his the moment I started playing soccer Santana revealed I started back in and my first-ever expensive pair of boots was the Messi shoes And I m also a left-footed performer so he s someone to look up to An idol for various a role model for others and one who isn t guaranteed to be around forever Messi is in the final stage of his brilliant career and those who traveled to San Jose were well aware his remaining time in professional soccer is short He might be retiring so you ve got to see him before he doesn t play anymore Krissy Strehle Jaxon s mom announced She wasn t the only one who had that on her mind I feel like he s gonna retire soon Santana noted Everybody wants to get to see him before he hangs them up That s what s dragging a lot of people out here Everybody knows what he s done to the world of football how key he s been That s the reason all these people are out here There was a regular-season MLS competition played as well but that seemed to be essentially a subplot Messi was the main event Santana and De La Torre are used to a typical Earthquakes atmosphere along with it must be mentioned a bit more ease in getting to from and around the stadium There was nothing typical about attending Wednesday s encounter Nothing like it announced De La Torre one of the outnumbered fans wearing a Quakes jersey Too countless people Long lines But it s really nice The resource s here the vibes are here It s fun Related Articles Can goal-happy Earthquakes outscore Messi and Miami to extend win streak Particular MLS commissioner Garber talks Messi Apple TV deal and John Fisher Messi is back in the Bay Area Will he play against the Quakes Earthquakes beat Rapids on goals from Jones Arango Espinoza Arango lead Earthquakes over Timbers as Jones shines in home debut Is this Messi s final farewell in the Bay Area Quite possibly at least as a participant And a full sellout crowd of made sure they were there to see it I just love how he plays how he s a nice person Jaxon Strehle declared I look up to him as a hero pretty much Wow Krissy Strehle responded There was plenty of wow factor to go around on Wednesday That s just what you get when Messi mania comes to town
