WASHINGTON — The worshippers streamed down South Capitol Street, past bootleggers hawking pink apparel, toward a traveling circus whose headliner, Lionel Messi, never showed.
They snaked toward Audi Field on a heavenly Saturday afternoon, through territory that typically belongs to D.C. United. They donned No. 10 jerseys — some pink, some albiceleste, some blaugrana, all accompanied by a legendary last name.
They’d paid hundreds of dollars to see the Messi roadshow. They were mostly, though not entirely aware that Messi had injured a hamstring and stayed home. They wove, nevertheless, through street vendors touting $40 Inter Miami shirts and $25 bucket hats, some advertising with a single song-like word. “Messi Messi Messi Messi Messiiii,” one vendor crowed.
The fans queued two hours before kickoff. Once inside, some congregated in the Audi Field concourse, craning their necks for a view of the tunnel from which players would emerge. “Did you see Messi?” one hopeful dad excitedly asked the young boy perched on his shoulders, as 22 mortals marched onto the field.
Others, though, had reframed the pilgrimage.
Sure, the star was back in South Florida, but still, “we’re definitely gonna see some world-class people play,” a pre-teen boy in an Argentina Messi jersey told his father en route to the game.
And sure enough, some three hours later, Luis Suarez appeared onstage.
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Neither Suarez nor Jordi Alba started Saturday’s MLS game at D.C. United. They watched a relatively uneventful first half end 1-1. Then, early in the second, they trotted down toward the corner flag to warm up — and some adoring fans followed, gathering behind a field-level railing roughly 20 feet away.
They waved to Suarez and shouted his name — “Luis!” “Lucho!” — as the second half droned on over his left shoulder.
They stopped to snap photos and capture video as two helpless stadium ushers implored them to clear the way. “You’re blocking the stairway!” one said with a hint of exasperation and a little force. “One photo, then you gotta go!”
They roared as Suarez raced back down the sideline to enter the fray in the 62nd minute.
Thousands of the 19,365 people in attendance erupted when he put Inter Miami ahead 10…