Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t really missed, and the unique MLS All-Star Game format apparently still has some legs. Even though Atlanta has been in the league for all of a year-and-a-half, and even though Juventus’s marquee summer purchase was training back in Italy, a sell-out crowd of 72,317 still turned out for Wednesday night’s exhibition at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was the largest standalone crowd in the All-Star Game’s 23-year history (a couple have been part of a doubleheader), and the sixth-biggest crowd ever to show for an MLS event.
Those fans saw local hero Josef Martínez continue his golden boot form, a Juventus squad that still brought a few big names and a competitive match that ended in a 1-1 draw and a 5-3 penalty shootout triumph for the Italian champions.