Charlotte FC kicked off its inaugural home opener on Saturday night with a bang.
No, Charlotte didn’t win, falling 1-0 versus LA Galaxy. But its fans — nearly 75,000 strong, breaking Major League Soccer‘s attendance record — made the experience unforgettable before the players even took the pitch.
When the microphone cut out during the national anthem, the 74,479 fans in attendance gave a helping hand, joining in to belt out “The Star-Spangled Banner” in a chilling scene.
The microphone went out for the National Anthem ahead of Charlotte FC’s home opener & this happened. Wow. Chills. This crowd is amazing.@wcnc | #ForTheCrown pic.twitter.com/KIDqBGJuZL
— Ashley Stroehlein (@ashstro) March 6, 2022
*goosebumps*#ForTheCrown pic.twitter.com/WSqx5I4pmz
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 6, 2022
The attendance at Bank of America Stadium exceeded the previous record of 73,019 set by Atlanta United in the 2018 MLS Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Despite the patriotic start to the match, Charlotte FC lost its home debut to the LA Galaxy, 1-0. Charlotte is now 0-2, with its season opening road loss coming versus DC United in late February.
