The first time I tried to see Messi play in person ended in failure. I was in Europe and flew to Barcelona to see the last match of the season, when Barca had already won the league. Messi was injured and didn’t played at all. However, I got to experience Nou Camp, which as awesome, so it was not a total waste.
This time, it’s Copa America in the U.S.. Argentina plays Panama in Chicago on June 6th. I bought the match ticket and plane ticket to ORD. And lo and behold, Messi got injured just before the tournament. He missed the first match of the tournament.
As we settled into our seats, you could just tell that the whole stadium (well, maybe apart from the Panama fans) was there to see Messi. He was on the bench, as a substitute. So, I was hoping that the game would not be too easy for Argentina for them to rest him completely. Luckily, even though Argentina was a goal ahead, it was not really a cakewalk for them. And at the hour mark, it was time for Messi.
Within 20 mins, he scored 3 goals, and then made another. We got our Messi experience. 🙂