ATLANTA -- The world may be watching the World Cup from Russia, but soccer fans are showing up to the matches in Atlanta.
Atlanta United drew a crowd of 71,932 for Saturday's 4-0 victory against Orlando City at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was the largest crowd of any soccer match on Saturday, even larger than the two Round of 16 matches at the FIFA World Cup which featured the departure of superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo from the tournament.
While it may have been the attendance record of the day, it still wasn't the all-time MLS record. That was set in March by Atlanta when they had 72,035 witness their victory over D.C. United.
"I think that's something that's now normal from the fans here in Atlanta," Miguel Almiron said through a translator. Almiron scored two goals against Orlando on Saturday.
"Don't get me wrong, I think the crowd is fantastic," midfielder Jeff Larentowicz said. "But if the building is empty, I think the performance is going to be similar because we're focused on getting the win."
Atlanta United is unbeaten in its last six matches. They play their next two matches on the road.
