World Cup fever fuels crowds at St. Pete watch parties, businesses
World Cup fever felt in Bay Area
Thousands of soccer fans packed local pubs and Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg on Friday night to cheer on the U.S. Men’s National Team as World Cup fever swept through the Bay Area. FOX 13's Blake DeVine reports.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Thousands of soccer fans packed local pubs and Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg on Friday night to cheer on the U.S. Men’s National Team as World Cup fever swept through the Bay Area.
St. Petersburg watch party
What we know:
A sea of red, white and blue filled Al Lang Stadium in downtown St. Petersburg on Friday night.
More than 3,000 fans watched as the U.S. Men's National Team defeated Paraguay 4-1 in its World Cup opener.
Soccer fans react
What they're saying:
Scott Wilson and his family were among the many fans dressed in patriotic attire for the match.
"We're coming here to watch the U.S. play," Wilson said. "We couldn't make it out to Los Angeles for this game, so we wanted to get as close as we could."
Several supporters dressed up for the patriotic occasion, including Jenni Tavares.
"This is a USA T-shirt that I bought from Target, then I have this American hat and sunglasses," Tavares said. "I was like, perfect, this will work."
Elvia Flores expects the excitement to continue throughout the World Cup.
"It's only going to get busier, crazier and wilder," Flores said.
Pubs see business boost
Local perspective:
Hours earlier, Mary Margaret's Olde Irish Tavern was filled with fans watching Canada take on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Soccer fan Luke Miseyko says the best part of the World Cup is bringing people from different countries together.
"No matter who's playing, you're going to find someone from that country that's here enjoying it," Miseyko said.
Mary Margaret's co-owner Kat Van Dora expects the six-week tournament to bring in big business.
"We get so many international people and so many proud people," Van Dora said. "They’ll come out and watch their country, so we're happy to host them."
Future watch parties
What's next:
The Rowdies are also hosting watch parties during Team USA's two remaining group-stage games.
The next watch party will take place on June 19 at Jannus Live, when the Americans face Australia at 3 p.m.
Another watch party is scheduled for June 25 at Ferg's, as the U.S. takes on Turkey at 10 p.m.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from interviews with local fans Scott Wilson, Jenni Tavares, Luke Miseyko, and Elvia Flores, as well as Mary Margaret's Olde Irish Tavern co-owner Kat Van Dora. Details regarding upcoming watch parties were provided by the Tampa Bay Rowdies.