Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The World Cup in Civic Center 2: Yanks vs. Limeys



The Day Two crowd on Saturday morning for the Civic Center simulcast of the World Cup numbered in the thousands rather than the dozens of the previous day.



This was because it was Saturday, the matchup was between England and the United States, and the day was stunningly beautiful.



Though the Rec & Park flyers warn that NO ALCOHOL is allowed, a number of people had brought along packs of canned beer.



This was a welcome sight in that watching a World Cup game, unless one is a teetotaler, without a beer or glass of wine, seems somehow incomplete.



I went with my Census Bureau colleague Jose Perez (above) who not only knew all the intricacies of futbol but who possessed a pair of folding beach chairs.



There was a large bicycle contingent in the back of the dirt plaza next to the newly fenced Buddha with Three Heads and Six Arms. According to the San Francisco Art Commission, the statue is going to be disfigured by the fence until mid-July because there are too many large events being held in the plaza until then. Not only are there fears of soccer hooligans but the Gay, Etc. Pride Parade and Non-Stop Festival is moving into the neighborhood in a couple of weeks.



If you have a choice and want to watch the games at home, I cannot recommend the telecasts from Univision enough. You don't need to understand a word of Spanish to understand everything that's going on, and they are much more excited and interesting than their gringo ESPN counterparts, especially when yodeling out "GOOOOAAAAALLLL!" in the style of Andres Cantor.

2 comments:

Nature Strikes Back said...

Limeys - 1 Yanks 1

Civic Center said...

Dear Nature Strikes Back: We Yanks considered it a victory. Was it considered a defeat in England, or just a tie? And poor Goalie Green, to be known for that flub the rest of his life.