The crowd outside the St. Regis hotel in downtown Washington DC had grown in the hundreds. Fans clad in Argentina’s home blue-and-white kit waited outside the team hotel of the world champions for nearly three hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lionel Messi.
The flashing lights of the police patrol cars confused passersby who had no idea Messi was in town. There was yellow crime scene tape that blocked off the intersections, which further disoriented tourists.
Andy Pendoley, 50, his wife Elaine, 48, and their two adolescent children were visiting from San Diego and had feared the worst.
“There are so many horrible things that you could come across among a crowd,” Elaine said. “It’s so exciting and such a relief to see something positive and fun that people are celebrating.”
“We don’t mind if we can’t get to our hotel,” added Andy. “We’re on vacation. It was fun and unexpected to get a glimpse. It’s wonderful to just be in the crowd with people who are passionate about the (Argentina) team.”
One year after his U.S. arrival with Inter Miami, Messi still garners a unique adoration in nearly every city he visits. The scenes in DC on Thursday night are a sign of what the Copa America will be like when Argentina travels throughout the East Coast as…
