Hear
ATLANTA.- (Special envoy) “Leo, Leo!”were the first cries of the people – mostly Latin, but few Argentinians – when they saw, after 5:20 in the afternoon (there is one hour less than in Argentina), the departure of the hotel selection to begin their first practice in Atlanta, where On Thursday they will debut against Canada in search of retaining the title of continental champion.
To avoid blocking traffic on the main avenue, as happened on Saturday with the arrival of the delegation of Lionel Scaloni and company, this time the authorities made the Messi and the rest of the players along one of the side streets, in front of the Hard Rock.
“They didn’t expect there to be people. “They had to put up fences,” sources from the organization explained to LA NACION. The team is already training at the property assigned to the team 40 kilometers from the center, under exhausting heat.
Say Maria, Otamendi and the “Dibu” Martínez They were part of the first faces to see each other and leave to get on the bus in front of a group of followers and other occasional spectators who discovered at the moment what was happening in the place. Because for many of those who live in Atlanta, the Copa América is something foreign.
With 35 degrees of heat, and in two groups, the team and also the leadership came out. The heat wave will last at least a week. For this reason, Scaloni and the rest of the coaching staff took some precautions so that training could start at dusk.
The city awaits the arrival of thousands of Argentines for the debut. But this afternoon dozens of fans gathered, most of them Mexican and other Central American countries. Messi is the great magnet and that is why he generates madness even in some North Americans. However, the majority of the locals in the capital of Georgia for now are indifferent to the start of the Cup. “Are you in for a congress?” asked the disoriented driver who took the LA NACION team to the center. “America Cup? Soccer?” he asked, surprised.
Westin Peachtree Plaza is the hotel that houses the players. It has 77 floors and a revolving restaurant on the top. It is one of the most luxurious in the city.
The leaders who are part of the delegation were the first to board the white Carolina Limousine & Coach bus. When Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia left the hotel, a fan shouted “great Chiqui” at him. As if he were just another player, he greeted and took refuge under the air conditioning inside the bus. Marilis and Carolina are Venezuelans and have been working here for three years. They both have friends and family in Buenos Aires and ask “Who is this sir?”, in reference to Tapia. Everyone comes to see the captain, Lionel Messi, who needs no introduction.
Even less since he arrived in the United States to be the figure and brand of Inter Miami. And with it, soccer took on another relevance in a country that is more accustomed to the big NBA basketball games, American football and baseball rather than what they call soccer. The MLS knew how to have some figures, today it has the world champion.
The bus was escorted by four motorized police officers in the style of “Chips”, the old American television series. As the procession left, other followers ran after it. They had waited a long time for the players’ greetings. But the departure was quick.
As published by LA NACION, today the countdown began for the cup debut against Canada, which will be on Thursday at 9 p.m. in Argentina. Scaloni’s team trains on the Kennesaw State University campus, a facility located northwest of Atlanta, 40 kilometers from downtown (its rival trains in Marietta, a town a little closer). There are four tests to define a team in which many positions have equal competition.
With Valentín Barco, Leonardo Balerdi and Ángel Correa out, which led to the surprise of the inclusion of the youthful Valentín Carboni, Scaloni once again confirmed something that is a constant in his cycle, especially since he established himself in Brazil 2021: the lists do not generate discussion in public opinion. There are no controversies over footballers who have not been mentioned or debates over someone who is there and is looked at askance. That peace of mind is worth a lot.
This time, at the end of the season for almost everyone – those who play in Europe, at least – there are not many hits. They waited for some, like Germán Pezzella – with a microcrack in a toe -, and the response of others who suffered some setbacks was tested, like Lisandro Martínez – back after a year of injuries – and Enzo Fernández – who had surgery of an inguinal hernia. Scaloni has shown signs in the past that he does not hesitate when making decisions if he sees that a footballer is not up to par with what he wants. But the team responded very well in the last friendlies – 1-0 against Ecuador in Chicago and 4-1 against Guatemala in Washington.
It is a group that in each appearance transmits the same sensation: the ambition is maintained, the voracity is preserved, the joy of wearing the light blue and white shirt is intact. The example comes from above, of course: Lionel Messi has designed his entire season at Inter Miami thinking about reaching the Copa América in optimal conditions.
