Lionel Messi stood center stage with an historic MVP trophy in his hands, photographers packed in below him angling for the perfect shot, and MLS commissioner Don Garber smiled off to the side in a ceremonious scene that Major League Soccer could only have dreamt of a few years ago.
But if you zoomed the lens out, the image looked far less glorious. The presentation took place in a largely empty stadium, rain pouring, the atmosphere failing to match the moment itself.
