World Cup/New York: Dispatch 3 ๐ง๐ท๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ธ๐ณ๐จ๐ป๐ฎ๐ท+๐จ๐ป
Closing out the group stage: scenes from Socceria, Senegalese snapper, and Cabo Verde block parties (plural!) I'll never forget.
To celebrate both the World Cup and New York City, Iโve been on a mission to attend as many country-specific watch parties as possible. As of press time Iโm at 24 of 48, which was my goal at the start of this quixotic quest!
This dispatch covers the final group stage matches for six teams: Brazil, Mexico, Senegal, Cabo Verde, Iran, plus a return visit to the Cabo Verdean party. Thereโs more eating this time around!
All of this happened two weeks ago, which feels like a lifetime. These teams have since been eliminated. But it makes for a tidy time capsule of very recent history. Iโm close to getting caught up with writing about these as things really slowed down for me after the Round of 32. Back to the movies soon, I promise!
My ultimate record for group stage watch parties was 7-6-3.
#12: Brazil ๐ง๐ท
Date: Wednesday, June 24
Location: Beco (Williamsburg)
Versus: Scotland ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ
Result: 3-0 Win
You donโt need me to tell you that Brazilians are madly passionate about their fandoms. A sea of yellow spilled out into the street, with a smattering of green thanks to Mexico fans pre-gaming for their own match later that night. Curbside bartenders opened bottles of Brahma Duplo Malte and served caipirinhas out of Gatorade coolers. We couldnโt get a good view of the patio TV so we streamed the game on their phones, as did most of the people around us. It didnโt matter when the energy was so high.
Even though Brazil had already clinched their advancement to the knockout stage, everyone cheered as if their team had scored in extra time. One girl had a Brazil jersey on top and a Scottish kilt on bottom, a puzzling sartorial split. Another fan would blow on two vuvuzelas simultaneously whenever she wasnโt screaming โVai Brasil!โ at the top of her lungs. It was awesome.
#13: Mexico ๐ฒ๐ฝ
Date: Wednesday, June 24
Location: Socceria (Williamsburg)
Versus: Czechia ๐จ๐ฟ
Result: 3-0 Win
New Yorkโs hottest club right now is Socceria. The folks behind Taqueria Ramirez opened what they call โa cantina with a soccer problem.โ Iโd say itโs a clubstaurant. On the opening day of the World Cup I swung by for Mexicoโs opening match against South Africa. It was at full capacity, bouncers were keeping people away from peering in through the windows, and someone was having a nervous breakdown because they couldnโt get in. I managed to snag a reservation for this final group stage matchโno breakdowns here.
As one would expect from the Taq Ram team, the food was excellent. Itโs a bit pricier than their walk-up stand in Greenpoint but also more ambitious. Highlights: taco de chapulines, queso fundido de chorizo verde, tostada de salpicรณn. The cocktail program is just as strong; I particularly enjoyed the Medicina Latina, a spin on the Oaxaca Old Fashioned infused with the anise-ish hierba santa.
Hereโs the thing about clubs (and clubstaurants): itโs aggravating if you canโt get in. But if you do, and the proprietors do their jobs right, itโs amazing. The energy rivalled that of the Brazilians. Everyone was dancing to Latin music during halftime; the party kept going long after the game ended. When the legendary goalie Ochoa stepped on the pitch in the waning minutes, the cheers were far louder than any of the three goals Mexico scored earlier that night. I drank a lot and ate a lot. I had a great time, what can I say.
Thereโs been some grumbling on Instagram about the cover charges. Reservations for the Round of 32 enforced a $50 minimum spend, with subsequent rounds charging $20 at the door. But spots keep selling out immediately, so it is what it is. Thereโs a lot of hype on this place and itโs become one of those annoying scene-y places, at least for now. I imagine that after the World Cup, Socceria will become more of a normal restaurant. Iโm curious how theyโll re-position themselves, because itโs the fรบtbol that makes it fun.
#14: Senegal ๐ธ๐ณ
Versus: Iraq ๐ฎ๐ถ
Date: Friday, June 26
Location: Cafรฉ Rue Dix (Crown Heights)
Result: 5-0 Win
This kicked off a Friday triple-header of World Cup watch parties. After the rowdiness of the last few days, it was a nice change of pace to have a more laidback atmosphere. This wasnโt to say there was any lack of passion, especially as Senegal racked up a bunch of goals to better secure their position to make it into the knockout round.
I ate an excellent Thiebou Jen: stewed red snapper served over jollof rice and a fiery scotch bonnet sauce. Itโs the national dish of Senegal, and one bite made it easy to see (taste?) why. As soon as the game ended, a DJ took over the aux, with patrons dancing in celebration of their teamโs victory.
PSโWhen you visit, check out the Marchรฉ Rue Dix next door.
#15: Cabo Verde ๐จ๐ป
Versus: Saudi Arabia ๐ธ๐ฆ
Date: Friday, June 26
Location: September (Bed Stuy)
Result: 0-0 Draw
Cabo Verde has been the story of the tournament. I probably donโt need to recap the details. As it happens, a Cabo Verdean-owned coffee shop is a ten-minute bike ride away from my apartment, and theyโve been hosting watch parties. I had no idea there was a Cabo Verdean community in this city, but seeing so many here decked out in the teamโs blue jerseys set me straight.
Much like the team itself, this was an admirably scrappy endeavor. The game was played off projectors inside and outside, while a brand new TV was haphazardly propped up in the front patio. The screens were out of sync. Weโd hear cheers emanating from inside the cafรฉ, which would prime the rest of us to see something exciting. In the best way, it felt like a neighborhood block party.
Typically September serves fairly standard coffee shop fare, but thanks to a special pop-up (from chefs who happen to work for the Knicks and the Nets!) I got to sample Cabo Verdean cuisine. Served from a giant stockpot was cachupa, the national dish: a stew of posole, beans, and assorted vegetables. Chicken wings and tuna skewers, grilled on the sidewalk over a small flame, were delicious in their simplicity.
Despite the game ending in a scoreless draw, it was a victory for this unlikely squad because that was enough to advance them out of the group stage. The jubilation that had been building throughout the night exploded. Literally: fireworks were launched. There was dancing and chanting. A garbage truck rolled by and the driver honked in solidarity. Some guy jumped up to the truck and hung off its side, recording the massive crowd gathered here on this beautiful Friday night in Bed Stuy.
Regrettably, I couldnโt stick around for the celebration because I was off to my third stop. At this party, a draw led the crowd to be overjoyed. At the next one, the same result was met with silence.
#16: Iran ๐ฎ๐ท
Versus: Egypt ๐ช๐ฌ
Date: Friday, June 26
Location: Bijanโs (Boerum Hill)
Result: 1-1 Draw
An 11 PM kickoff didnโt prevent a full house in this Persian-inflected bistro. Unlike the other watch parties Iโve been to, not many people here wore jerseys for their team, perhaps because it represents the current regime. Pinned to the wall was a Pre-Revolution flag. They may not be fans of the Islamic Republic, but they remain supportive of Team Melli. Chants of โIran! Iran!โ rang out into the street; in any other context weโd end up on Fox News.
You already know about the dramatic closure to this match, where a late goal by Iran would have sealed their place in the Round of 32, only to be called back due to offsides. The energy of pure joy, the giddy screaming, celebrating a team that overcame a deck stacked against them. All of it taken away in a cruel instant. โThey donโt want us to win,โ said one heartbroken fan. Those around her murmured in agreement.
The match ended in a draw, leaving Iranโs fate in limbo. Two days later, a late equalizer in Austria vs Algeria made it seem like Iran would squeak through, only for an even later game-winning goal to eliminate them.
Bonus: Cabo Verde ๐จ๐ป Again
Date: Friday, July 3
Location: September (Bed Stuy)
Versus: Argentina ๐ฆ๐ท
Result: 2-3 Loss (Extra Time)
Jumping ahead in the timeline a bit. This one is somewhat of a stream of consciousness.
One week after celebrating Cabo Verdeโs surprise advance to the knockout round, I went back to September. The weather was beautiful that first time but now New York was in the middle of the worst heatwave Iโve ever experienced. That didnโt stop a big turnout, though. No matter the heat index, we were here to cheer on the Blue Sharks against Argentina, a David versus Goliath if there ever was one. Everyone was aware of the mismatch. I just wanted Cabo Verde to score one goal so weโd get one good celebration and then, as expected, lose with honor.
The nightโs food offerings: an absolutely delicious arroz de atum that Iโll need to make at home sometime, and pastels (a Cabo Verdean empanada, filled with tuna).
At halftime I seriously considered heading back home; Messi had put Argentina up 1-0 and not much was happening. I was standing on the sidewalk with a hundred other people, exposed to the triple-digit heat.
To think what I would have missed.
You know the legend. Second half, Cabo Verde ties the game. Unprecedented. Vozinha makes a massive save on Messi to hold the score. Someone in a Baby Shark costume leads the trademark chant: โHoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Haaaah!โ And against all odds, we go to extra time. No one thought weโd still be here.
Then at the precise moment extra time began, a massive thunderstorm hit. The rain comes down hard and fast, the Blue Sharks showering us with affection from afar. We scramble to move the TVs and speakers and projectors indoors, where the headcount doubles with this influx of rainfall refugees. Somehow, thereโs just enough room for all of us. What we miss during this shuffle: Argentina scoring a goal two minutes into extra time, seemingly putting an end to this Cinderella story.
But clock didnโt strike midnight, not yet: in the 103rd minute, Sidny Lopes Cabral guarantees heโll never again pay for a drink in his home country by scoring a most beautiful goal in this most beautiful game. The screens were out of sync, so the explosive cheers from one half of the room alerted the other that they were on the verge of witnessing history. The note I took was โitโs absolutely nuts in here,โ which is a totally inadequate way to put it, but so would anything else. We were beyond the realm of words.
Cabo Verde, for a second time, deadlocked with the reigning world champions. The pipe dream that they could actually win became into a vision. Just make it to penalties, we were manifesting. Then itโs a coin flip for the upset of the millennium. Either way this is a seismic event. Iโm 1,200 miles from Miami, where the game is being played, but it feels like Iโm at the epicenter.
Throughout all this, itโs still dumping rain outside.
And then, heartbreak. With just nine minutes to spare, Argentina takes the lead again and despite a furious attack from Cabo Verde, the final whistle blows and the clock strikes midnightโ120 minutes and change are upโand the fairytale is over. The rain stops. Iโm not making this up.
In the immediate moments, there was disappointment. We really believed theyโweโcould win. But after a quick beat, the mood shifted. I got the overwhelming sense that everyone here was proud. Proud of Cabo Verde, of being Cabo Verdean, or of just being along for the ride. (To paraphrase Gianni Infantino, today I feel a Cabo Verdean.) Earlier in the day, a fellow attendee said he always had to give a lengthy explanation about his heritageโbut this World Cup changed that.
With wistful euphoria in my heart, I head off into the hot night. Colombia and Ghana played each other next but I donโt remember any of it.
Next up: The knockout rounds, where my presence seems to be the kiss of deathโฆ