It was Inter Miami week in Chicago and for the second consecutive year Lionel Messi was not available to play in the match due to injury, though his security guard was present at Soldier Field.
The Inter Miami match is something I look forward to because the audience tells the story of the plight of the current MLS supporter.
Messi jerseys of all kinds were seen on the Chicago lakefront, with very few other Inter Miami players being represented on the back of kits. Most notably, it seemed like every child that bought a Messi jersey also bought the Inter Miami shorts to go with it and were rocking the full kit (something you shouldn’t be allowed to do after you enter high school, at the latest.)
The match lacked the volume of game-exclusive apparel as the 2023 edition but the Fire did offer a scarf that had accents of pink in it to represent Inter Miami’s presence at Soldier Field. $45 is far too rich for my blood when it comes to buying a soccer scarf, though the end-of-season locker room sale is likely to be my saving grace in this situation.
The two main takeaways from my perspective of this event:
Individually game-branded merchandise should be available at every major sporting event.
Telling your kid that Lionel Messi isn’t playing after you’ve already entered Soldier Field is a terrible idea.
The individually branded items would sell wonderfully, particularly in the NBA and NFL. Every time you go to the United Center for a Bulls game, there is a fan that’s there for the first time who would absolutely like to commemorate the moment with a memorabilia item. Now that paper tickets are a thing of the past, teams need to create another memento from the match and selling split scarves or hats will actually do that while generating revenue.
Now onto item 2. I always do a pre-match walk around the stadium to assess vibes and, quite honestly, I don’t like sitting in the press box for over five hours during each match I attend.
My colleague Alex and I were shocked while walking about the stadium as we saw multiple families breaking the news that Lionel Messi wouldn’t be playing with their children. Mind you, that information was available more than 24 hours earlier and, frankly, few people thought he’d recover in time to play. Naturally, some of these kids began sobbing and I don’t blame them.
You may be asking yourself, “Joe, why is this relevant to a hobby column?” and that’s a great question.
Experiences shape our fandom. There were two ways to look at that match. You could dwell on the fact that Lionel Messi didn’t play or you could note that legends Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets all played major roles in Miami’s victory.
All of that is a reminder that games need to be treated as events where the hosts acknowledge the first-timers and welcome them with open arms. It’ll keep them coming back, especially if the match goes poorly.
Another note:
I was about to send this article in and then Alex Morgan announced her retirement from professional soccer. I’m not one to tell people who or what to collect but any Alex Morgan memorabilia should be treated as treasure after her legendary soccer career.
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