CHARLOTTE — Even the most ambitious dreams years ago would’ve had trouble envisioning this type of night for Major League Soccer.
But as kickoff got closer, Charlotte FC knew what could be possible. Those dreams came to fruition Saturday night as 74,479 fans, an MLS attendance record, packed Bank of America Stadium for the team’s inaugural home game. The LA Galaxy played spoiler with a stunning goal by Efrain Alvarez in the 77th minute of the 1-0 win. However, Saturday was as much about what happened off the pitch than the game itself.
Take the national anthem for example. With the stadium already buzzing, “The Voice” finalist Michelle Brooks-Thompson stepped up to sing and her mic instantly cut off. The nearly 75,000 people took over in unison and “The Star-Spangled Banner” continued on as fireworks went off. It served as the perfect representation of the magnitude of fan support in Charlotte for a team that was getting ready to play only its second game ever.
“It’s amazing. On the field. Off the field. In the stands. The new clubs that are coming in, the fanbases that they have before they even play one game, the ticket sales and the season ticket holders,” said Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney, who played in the inaugural 1996 MLS season. “All that stuff just shows how the league continues to grow. How it’s getting engrained and entrenched in the culture of North America.”
To put it in context, a couple hours away in Durham, Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski was…