Atlanta —
With a double-decker London bus well and truly parked in front of the England goal as time ticked away in this second World Cup semifinal, it seemed like Argentina’s dream of the bicampeón had finally ended.
Luckily for La Albiceleste, Atlanta is a rail town. And their No. 10 – the magnificent, magical Lionel Messi – is a bullet train that can take them straight through the most determined of defenses.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium might never again see two comebacks like the ones engineered by Messi in Atlanta. The first was a controversial climb-back over Egypt from two goals down; the second, a lightning strike of guts and glory in the final minutes to beat England 2-1 and book a spot in the World Cup final. Argentina’s national stadium is Estadio Mâs Monumental in Buenos Aires, but the home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons might make a case to be their new favorite vacation spot, if not a second home.
Or, perhaps more appropriately for the adulation showered down on Messi and the continued reverence for the late Diego Maradona, it will become a place of worship – a place where miracles are remembered.
