CHESTER, Pa. — For many fans arriving at Subaru Park via Interstate 95 on Tuesday night, swirling down the ramp that peeks into the riverside stadium, the first vendors they came across were hawking jerseys not for the Philadelphia Union, the reigning Eastern Conference champion that calls this industrial suburb home, but Inter Miami, the 2020 MLS expansion team that sits last in the 29-team circuit.
Such is Lionel Messi mania, even during an away game.
“I think if you’re even a Union fan, you should respect and love how Messi plays the game and how he is as a human being and as a teammate,” Union Coach Jim Curtin said with a knowing grin.