USA - IRAN World Cup - Looking for a bar to watch

[Jersey Guy]

Hi, most everything is closed today, could watch at home but would like to be at a bar with USA soccer fans, doesnt seem to be too much of that around. Game is at 2:00 today.

[Major]

Cactus Jack's in Laconia is open. For the Lakes Region, CJ's is the closest thing we have to a sports bar.

I've tried watching but it's too boring. Not one shot on goal by the U.S. squad during the game against England. Not very exciting.

[lakewinnie]

What's soccer?

[steve-on-mark]

Originally Posted by lakewinnie

What's soccer?

It's like football, only different.

[LoveLakeLife]

It’s like entertainment only the opposite.


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[baygo]

Originally Posted by Jersey Guy

Hi, most everything is closed today, could watch at home but would like to be at a bar with USA soccer fans, doesnt seem to be too much of that around. Game is at 2:00 today.

The staff at Harts Turkey Farm seems to be a bit more soccer minded. The Copper kettle Tavern there has a nice comfortable feel with TVs.

Also, El Jimador, or any of the local Mexican restaurants are likely to have passion for the event

[Bigstan]

Originally Posted by baygo

The staff at Harts Turkey Farm seems to be a bit more soccer minded. The Copper kettle Tavern there has a nice comfortable feel with TVs.

Also, El Jimador, or any of the local Mexican restaurants are likely to have passion for the event

True - Vida had games on two TVs in the bar this weekend. I think the bartenders were the only ones watching..

[winniwannabe]

Nice to see you supporting local establishments. I guess for that reason I hope USA wins.

[LoveLakeLife]

The U. S. Wins 1-0. A typical soccer blowout. It was electric, like a AAA battery. Hopefully everyone covered the spread.


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[thinkxingu]

I agree with all y'all about soccer being terribly boring (not unlike a "perfect" baseball game...without a single run), BUT live soccer is really fun...as is the crack of a bat on a warm summer evening.

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[Roy_Hobbs]

I won't try to change any of your minds, as I know that's a Sisyphean task, but I'll offer an alternative take. Is it high scoring? Absolutely not. For my personal tastes, what I like to see in sports are tension, drama, skill etc. and soccer offers all of that and more. In soccer, every goal means a TON. Close games in any sport tend to be inherently more interesting. In soccer, lots of games are close. Were there any goals during the last 20 minutes of today's game? Nope, but I was spent after watching it as there was off the charts tension. Concede a goal and you're out of the tournament. Don't concede and you are through to the next round. Heck of a lot more interesting to me than watching the average basketball game where scoring means almost nothing, or football where the average NFL game has ~11 - 18 minutes of action and 50 - 60 minutes of commercials.

To each her / his own. Regardless, Go U.S.A.!!!

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by Roy_Hobbs

I won't try to change any of your minds, as I know that's a Sisyphean task, but I'll offer an alternative take. Is it high scoring? Absolutely not. For my personal tastes, what I like to see in sports are tension, drama, skill etc. and soccer offers all of that and more. In soccer, every goal means a TON. Close games in any sport tend to be inherently more interesting. In soccer, lots of games are close. Were there any goals during the last 20 minutes of today's game? Nope, but I was spent after watching it as there was off the charts tension. Concede a goal and you're out of the tournament. Don't concede and you are through to the next round. Heck of a lot more interesting to me than watching the average basketball game where scoring means almost nothing, or football where the average NFL game has ~11 - 18 minutes of action and 50 - 60 minutes of commercials.

To each her / his own. Regardless, Go U.S.A.!!!

I find that people that like hockey can relate better to soccer.

[phoenix]

I found found it very exciting. More like hockey a lot of action low scoring vs baseball watching the grass grow (which i watch)

[Major]

I have tried to like soccer. I agree the stakes are higher with each goal since there are so few goals scored. The U.S. game versus England had ZERO shots on goal for the U.S. squad. ZERO! In my opinion that's painful to watch. Hockey is much better. At least there are 20-30 shots on goal for each team, making it far more exciting. And nothing, not even the NFL, beats playoff hockey. To analogize soccer with hockey, it is the equivalent to a team endlessly passing the puck in the neutral zone, which would be very boring.

[garysanfran]

Usually the most interesting part of a high scoring game like basketball is the last 2-4 minutes.

I thought I didn't like soccer, but I thought the USA/Iran game was exactly what Roy Hobbs described...Tense, exciting and watching the players from Iran fake injuries was priceless.

I am having some work done on my place here in San Francisco and when Mexico played Poland, the Mexican workers showed up early and set up a 65" big screen TV on the sidewalk in front of my place and, since they couldn't really watch while they worked, they turned the sound up so the entire neighborhood could enjoy the audio.

Los Mexicanos disfrutaron el juego mucho!!!

[baygo]

I find it admirable the way so many countries around the world display tremendous sense of national pride for their team during World Cup. Not so much here at home. Conversation around the dinner table seems to be more about a fear that our players are about to embarrass us with political statement. I hope we win and I hope we keep our mouth shut and our flag of the ground.

[lakewinnie]

Originally Posted by baygo

I find it admirable the way so many countries around the world display tremendous sense of national pride for their team during World Cup. Not so much here at home. Conversation around the dinner table seems to be more about a fear that our players are about to embarrass us with political statement. I hope we win and I hope we keep our mouth shut and our flag of the ground.

The last and only time I saw that happen in my lifetime was in February 1980. Different sport. Different time. And we were a different country.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by Major

I have tried to like soccer. I agree the stakes are higher with each goal since there are so few goals scored. The U.S. game versus England had ZERO shots on goal for the U.S. squad. ZERO! In my opinion that's painful to watch. Hockey is much better. At least there are 20-30 shots on goal for each team, making it far more exciting. And nothing, not even the NFL, beats playoff hockey. To analogize soccer with hockey, it is the equivalent to a team endlessly passing the puck in the neutral zone, which would be very boring.

My father played hockey for Belknap College.
He seems to like soccer... that and NASCAR.

[MeredithMan]

Originally Posted by baygo

I find it admirable the way so many countries around the world display tremendous sense of national pride for their team during World Cup. Not so much here at home. Conversation around the dinner table seems to be more about a fear that our players are about to embarrass us with political statement. I hope we win and I hope we keep our mouth shut and our flag of the ground.

So way back in 2006, I had a business trip to call on customers in Brazil and Argentina during the World Cup. A couple of weeks before the trip, I was working the agenda with our local guys and 1 of the days in Brazil and 1 of the days in Argentina, there were no meetings scheduled. When I asked why, my colleague told me that's when Brazil and Argentina were playing, and all business shuts down so everyone can watch the game. My colleague lived in Sao Paulo and on the day of the Brazil game, he had a "watch party" at his apartment and invited me over. His apartment was on about the 10th or 12th floor. Brazil won their game and when it ended, suddenly outside the apartment there was this mega BOOM and flash. People were shooting off huge fireworks down on the street that were exploding outside his apartment 10 floors up!! Next thing I knew, my new Brazlian friends from the Watch Party and I were headed to the neighborhood bars and people were dancing in the streets, waving flags, blowing those obnoxious horns...it was crazy.

Then, two days later in Argentina, it was the same thing all over again!! It was an experience I will never forget!

[Mr. V]

I have to wonder what type of reception the Iranian soccer team will get upon returning home.

They refused to sing the anthem in their first match, resulting in the mullah's threatening to torture their families.

Then they lose to the Evil Empire.

Me, I'd defect.

[jbolty]

I don't care one way or the other but this is just funny.

[baygo]

Originally Posted by MeredithMan

So way back in 2006, I had a business trip to call on customers in Brazil and Argentina during the World Cup. A couple of weeks before the trip, I was working the agenda with our local guys and 1 of the days in Brazil and 1 of the days in Argentina, there were no meetings scheduled. When I asked why, my colleague told me that's when Brazil and Argentina were playing, and all business shuts down so everyone can watch the game. My colleague lived in Sao Paulo and on the day of the Brazil game, he had a "watch party" at his apartment and invited me over. His apartment was on about the 10th or 12th floor. Brazil won their game and when it ended, suddenly outside the apartment there was this mega BOOM and flash. People were shooting off huge fireworks down on the street that were exploding outside his apartment 10 floors up!! Next thing I knew, my new Brazlian friends from the Watch Party and I were headed to the neighborhood bars and people were dancing in the streets, waving flags, blowing those obnoxious horns...it was crazy.

Then, two days later in Argentina, it was the same thing all over again!! It was an experience I will never forget!

Sound like you were in the right places at the right times. The result great memories for a lifetime.

I spent a couple of hours on my 19th birthday seated behind the goal that both goals were scored in from a 1 to 1 tie between Naples and Milan in Naples. At the time the rivalry would be compared to a Red Sox-Yankees game, and the energy in the stadium was one that I’’be never experienced since. Many fans from each side carried flags with home colors. I witnessed one stupid but very brave fan with a Blue and White Milan flag circle the stadium over to the orange and black side to suddenly disappear like a guppy in and oscar’s fishbowl. Incredible passion during the game but then once it was over they were hugging in the streets.

[Leoskeys]

Originally Posted by Major

I have tried to like soccer. I agree the stakes are higher with each goal since there are so few goals scored. The U.S. game versus England had ZERO shots on goal for the U.S. squad. ZERO! In my opinion that's painful to watch. Hockey is much better. At least there are 20-30 shots on goal for each team, making it far more exciting. And nothing, not even the NFL, beats playoff hockey. To analogize soccer with hockey, it is the equivalent to a team endlessly passing the puck in the neutral zone, which would be very boring.

Splitting hairs, but the US had 10 shots against England, and while technically only one shot was considered “on goal”. But when they miss the goal by six inches, that’s not considered a “shot on goal”, but VERY exciting. They had many scoring chances, and that’s exciting, as is stopping or “surviving” the scoring chances by the other team. It’s the build-up to each chance that’s so exciting to hundreds of millions(maybe billions). Oh, and the national pride of rooting for your country.
I’m a long-time Celtics season ticket holder, and love the C’s, but the World Cup is like the NBA Playoffs to many of us.
But it’s not for everybody!