Pep Guardiola had just arrived, and later, Erling Haaland's presence in the open training session would delight the thousands who had queued in the North Carolina storms to get a glimpse of their heroes.
One group of fans even sung happy birthday to the Norwegian, but he was too busy watching Jack Grealish slide in on James McAtee during a rondo that threatened to get out of hand.
Nobody can accuse Grealish of not being fired up for this tour, even despite the frustrating 12 months he has had.
Guardiola addressed Grealish's England snub briefly, using his answer to challenge the forward to earn his place back in the team.
McAtee, who emerged unscathed from Grealish's tackle with some trademark quick feet, probably wasn't aware that Guardiola had just earmarked him for a first-team role this season.
His future is still unresolved, but has been taken on pre-season to earn a place in Guardiola's squad. And the manager has been watching McAtee on loan at Sheffield United.
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