Pre-game presentations were over the top. Crowd was huge and absolutely stoked. The futbol itself was actually pretty decent as well (Charlotte actually had a realistic shot at a win or draw).

Fact that this occurred simultaneously with the Hornets playing in town a few blocks away is also pretty significant. Charlotte has come a long way since the days when Uptown was pretty much vacant after 5:00 on weekdays and the duration of most weekends. This level of attendance might be a one-off (probably a lot of folks like us who made a trip for this one game). But it appears that the Queen City is developing some real muscle as a major market.

One of the coolest takeaways for me personally was the crowd stepping up to sing the national anthem when there were some apparent issues with the microphone on the field. As cynical as we can all tend to be in present times, that was a spontaneous show of unity that was a truly beautiful thing. Very grateful I could be there in any circumstances, but also particularly grateful that my three sons were there to witness/participate in it.