International Champions Cup Match Between Galaxy, Barcelona Big Hit With Fans
PASADENA (CBSLA.com) — Tuesday's International Champions Cup exhibition match between La Liga champion FC Barcelona and the MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy at the Rose Bowl was a bit hit for fans of all ages and loyalties.
The Rose Bowl was filled to its 93,000 capacity as Barcelona defeated the Galaxy 2-1.
There was no shortage of Barcelona fans, with some Galaxy fans saying it felt like they were outnumbered in their own city one thousand-to-one.
Traffic en route to the stadium presented plenty of problems prior to the match, as freeways became congested with soccer fans. An overturned big rig on the 210-westbound did nothing to help traffic flow through the area.
Some fans, such as Tony Viole, were able to avoid the jammed traffic during rush hour, arriving up to eight hours early to the stadium.
"(We're) the biggest Galaxy fans in the world, and didn't want to have to sit in traffic all afternoon," Violi said.
However, all fans, early or late to the match, noticed the absence of key players on the pitch.
"Everybody was expecting to see (Lionel) Messi, (Barcelona's) best player," one fan said.