To get a sense of the energy among real or aspiring soccer fans in our fair city, I journeyed out to multiple bars in South Philly to scope out the scene. Here’s what I found:<\/p>\n
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Kristin Hunt\/PhillyVoice<\/p>\n
Human Robot was showing the U.S.-Australia match on all of its TVs and projectors.<\/p>\n
2:30 p.m.: After waiting for several uptown buses that were never destined to come, I walked over to Human Robot\u2019s location off East Passyunk. The pregame was playing from a projector screen at the back and a smaller TV over the bar, and the brewery already had attracted a sizable crowd. Fans had claimed all the bar seats and every table had at least some, if not all, of its space occupied. A smattering of red, white and blue dotted the crowd thanks to Team USA jerseys, hats and scarves \u2014 or unaffiliated accessories in the appropriate colors.<\/p>\n
Bryan Kohut, 33, and Patrick O\u2019Leary, 35, live in the Passyunk neighborhood and have watched several World Cup games at Human Robot. Both were dressed for the occasion, though O\u2019Leary conceded his jersey was actually a patriotic bit of Charlotte Independence gear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s the best piece of American soccer gear I have,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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Kristin Hunt\/PhillyVoice<\/p>\n
Patrick O\u2019Leary, 35, and Bryan Kohut, 33, went to Human Robot\u2019s location off East Passyunk Avenue to watch Team USA take on Australia on Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n
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O’Leary has brought his 14-month-old son to watch matches and said the little guy \u201cloves it.\u201d He and Kohut, both longtime soccer fans, have enjoyed watching the tourists invade the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really cool having it here, just having people all get to experience it a little bit and seeing them taking pictures of Pat\u2019s and Geno\u2019s,\u201d O\u2019Leary said with a laugh. \u201cYou’re like alright, they’re really getting the experience.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s only every four years but everyone in the world tunes in,\u201d Kohut said<\/p>\n
3:11 p.m.: Loud cheers erupted as Team USA scored the first goal of the game. A few minutes later, the crowd\u00a0booed as the camera cut to\u00a0Health and Human Services Secretary\u00a0Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was attending the match in Seattle.<\/p>\n
3:45 p.m.: Molly McVety reported from\u00a0Frankford Hall in Fishtown, where U.S. fans were a roller coaster of emotions \u2014 cheers, groans and cheers again \u2014 as an apparent goal was ruled offsides before video review reversed the call on the field to award Team USA a 2-0 lead with an Alex Freeman header.<\/p>\n
Sydney and Kori Lowe arrived at Frankford Hall at 2:30 p.m. Despite the impressive start for Team USA to this year’s World Cup, they said they’re not optimistic about the U.S. making it very far. Their money is on the Netherlands or France.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re realists,\u201d Sydney said.<\/p>\n
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Molly McVety\/PhillyVoice<\/p>\n
Fans at Frankford Hall in Fishtown celebrate after video replay confirms Team USA’s second goal.<\/p>\n
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3:45 p.m.:\u00a0Claude Brutus was walking through the doors of the Human Robot, when the U.S. team scored and then the goal was swiftly reviewed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI just pulled up and everyone\u2019s screaming goal,\u201d he recalled. \u201cAnd then everyone got quiet.\u201c\u00a0<\/p>\n
He walked out and back in again to investigate just as the call was made and the crowd went crazy again.<\/p>\n
Brutus is rooting for two teams in the World Cup: America, where he lives, and Haiti, where he was born. He\u2019ll watch Haiti take on Brazil tonight at Lincoln Financial Field. His sister scored tickets and invited him as a birthday present.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the best birthday of my life I think,\u201d he said. \u201cNo matter what happens, it\u2019s epic. I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Kristin Hunt\/PhillyVoice<\/p>\n
Claude Brutus, 56, who was born in Haiti, celebrates his birthday by watching Team USA before going to see his native country face Brazil at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday night.<\/p>\n
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3:50 p.m.: As the game approached halftime, I walked a few blocks over to Watkins Drinkery, which was standing-room only.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was a smaller space and crowd, but they were dedicated. One patron at the bar wore a neck brace with his red bucket hat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Co-owner Jack Ross, 39, said he ordered double his usual supply to prepare for the World Cup rush.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe USA games have felt like the Super Bowl,” Ross said. “\u2026 The first goal USA scored, the roar for that was bigger than the roar we had for the first Eagles touchdown in the Super Bowl. It just shot me back.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Kristin Hunt\/PhillyVoice<\/p>\n
Watkins Drinkery in South Philly is standing-room only to watch the U.S. match.<\/p>\n
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4:15 p.m.: Back at Frankford Hall,\u00a0Alex Joseph was sporting a comically large Team USA cowboy hat from CVS and was spending time with his friends watching the game before heading to the Linc with his wife to watch the Haiti-Brazil match.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone\u2019s super positive and supporting their teams but not fighting, just loving each other,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful day, we\u2019re scoring goals. What more could you ask for?\u201d<\/p>\n
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Molly McVety\/PhillyVoice<\/p>\n
Alex Joseph, wearing a Team USA cowboy hat he bought at CVS, watches the match at Frankford Hall.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
4:35 p.m.: The crowd was much more muted at Fountain Porter, the famed beer and burger spot, where the game was on the bar\u2019s lone TV but music played over the sound system. For the first time this afternoon, I easily found open seats.<\/p>\n
4:44 p.m.: Seeking a livelier spot, I exited and immediately encountered a crowd of preemptively hyped Brazil fans shouting \u201cGo Brazil\u201d at passing cars.<\/p>\n
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Kristin Hunt\/PhillyVoice<\/p>\n
Brazil fans walk the streets of South Philly ahead of their team’s match against Haiti at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday night.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
4:50 p.m.: I peeked into Grumpy\u2019s, which had the game\u2019s audio but even less people, so I kept walking to The Jim. I’ve watched absolutely raucous Eagles games here, but it was pretty chill. Most, but not all, of the wraparound bar was occupied. Some people watched the game on the TV closest to the front door \u2014 the other was off \u2014 but some glanced at their phone or read books.<\/p>\n
5:04 p.m.: At\u00a0Frankford Hall, fans erupted in a “USA, USA, USA” chant at the final whistle in the 2-0 victory over Australia \u2014 a win that sealed the Americans a spot in the knockout round. Then, the crowd joined in singing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” \u2014 a perfect way to celebrate a second World Cup win.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Molly McVety\/PhillyVoice<\/p>\n
Fans at Frankford Hall cheer to Team USA’s 2-0 victory over Australia.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Molly McVety contributed to this story.<\/p>\n
Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt
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