In all its glory Sunday night, the Copa America Centenario 2016 Official Draw marked a historic merging of the differing American soccer cultures as the world celebrates the centennial anniversary of its oldest international soccer tournament. 

While on television, viewers were greeted by an eclectic variety of lights and colors on a typically blue and rainbow set, the bigger story involving the draw's presentation may be hidden in the color of the scarves left on each and every seat in the audience.

The Scarves

The two sides of the scarves given out to draw attendees (Photo: Zach Drapkin/VAVEL.com).
The two sides of the scarves given out to draw attendees (Photo: Zach Drapkin/VAVEL.com).

The scarves - reading "Copa America Centenario" on one side and "USA 2016" on the other - were unexpectedly colored by a dull scheme of black, gold, and white. That color scheme is present most prominently in what else? The badges of newly introduced Major League Soccer clubs Atlanta United FC and Los Angeles FC.

The scarves left on each seat at the Copa America Official Draw Sunday night were remarkably similar to the color schemes of Atlanta United FC and Los Angeles FC.
Atlanta United FC and LA FC logos show similarities to Copa America Centenario 2016 scarves.

Now of course the US is going to want to promote the growth of its soccer culture at such an important international event for the sport. The fact of the matter is, however, the scarves are the physical object the organizers want the attendees to keep and take home with them, meaning some message has to be brought along home as well.

Does It Really Matter?

So that begs the question: why promote that MLS expansion here, at a draw for Copa America, where the majority of the recipients of the scarf don't even know that it has a common color scheme with new additions to US soccer?

Honestly, it's likely a coincidence for the most part. But the long answer may not be that simple.

At the launches for both crests, Atlanta United FC and LA FC, black and gold were emphasized as colors to symbolize success. Success, triumph, and additionally, glamour. Following a thread via this interpretation, we see that the United States supposedly feels the need to prove to the other, longer-standing soccer cultures, the majority of which are South American, that they too have a rich history and passion for the game and that they can compete at a similar level. 

The United States wants to show what it can contribute, and even moreso add, to the world of soccer.

Until recent years, the US was practically a joke to many in the soccer world, and it still is in the eyes of some overseas. After all, the country is rooted deep in its national pastime, baseball, and its own, mega-billion-dollar creations, basketball and football. American football. Only in 1993 were Mexico and the United States added to the Copa America field, and the States only really saw a spike in the popularity of soccer when the NASL boomed through the '60s and '70s.

The draw was presented to a full crowd Sunday night at Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom (image via Copa America 2016 Official Twitter).
The draw was presented to a full crowd Sunday night at Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom, banners wrapping around with the phrase "World's Best in the U.S." (image via Copa America 2016 Official).

If the United States wants to prove itself, their chances this summer are only heightened for doing so by the extremely tough group stage they were drawn Sunday, now at the firing line of this year's so-called Group of Death, a division including Paraguay, Costa Rica, and Colombia along with the States.

The doubters will be many this summer. That's for sure. But if the USA can pull something off - even just one impressive performance against some of the highest-quality footballers in the world - it would truly be something remarkable.