I watched the Champions League final at Fado, a pub in downtown Chicago. I hadn’t been there before and didn’t know anything about the number of screens, nor how easy it would be to get a table near one of them. So I recorded the game and, happily, remembered to set up the DVR to record two shows afterward…just in case.
I don’t usually watch games in public. Let’s see, there was last year’s Gold Cup final at Quigley’s and a Chicago Fire playoff game in 2006 at the Globe and…that’s about it. I am not very social about these things. I like to concentrate on the game while freely expressing my wild, half-baked opinions to Steve. But I was persuaded that the first-ever all-English Champions League final should be seen in a pub, despite the inevitable presence of Chelsea supporters.
We arrived about ninety minutes before the start, but only one table was open. We snagged it. Things got a bit tight as the crowd grew, but everyone around us was generous about sharing space. I didn’t have a perfect view, but I did see every bit of the action. Some people in the group–Steve’s friend Jonathan and friends–elected to stand for a more direct view of the game. They don’t seem to mind, do they?
The atmosphere at Fado was all that I had hoped for. The place was jammed with serious supporters of both teams, although red shirts outnumbered blue. Each side was enthusiastic but mostly respectful. Best of all, everyone was really, really into the game. The underground community of soccer fans was out in force–and many (most?) were American, too.
After van der Sar blocked Nicolas Anelka’s penalty the party really got under way for the celebrating United supporters.
This evening I treated myself to a second viewing of the game. It was a delight to watch it without yo-yo-ing between numbness and high anxiety. Who can savor the drama of a penalty shoot-out right in the middle of it? Not I. My keenly-felt disappointment when Petr Cech easily saved Ronaldo’s poorly-taken shot seems excessive now, knowing as I do that Manchester United would still lift the trophy.
And John Terry’s misery? Just as awful to watch the second time as the first.
Tags: Champions League, Chelsea, Chicago Fire, football, Gold Cup, John Terry, Manchester United, soccer
May 23, 2008 at 3:42 pm |
The extra pints meant to sedate me didn’t work. The atmosphere was just too charged. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. That retrospective view with the win already secured makes all the difference, doesn’t it?
Nice write-up, Susan. And nice pictures. And a really nice result. I remind myself of it every time I speak with this raspy, cheered-out voice. Champions of Europe… League Champions… double the glory, double the fun. Let’s allow ourselves a good long while to let that sink in.
Regarding John Terry, I know right where you’re at, Susan. Nobody could wear the CFC captain’s band with more honor. Or the Three Lions, for that matter. It’s no solace to a man like him that it was the turf that did him in. Still, I think we appreciate the great competitors on the other side for what they bring to the game, but shouldn’t dwell on their pain. We celebrate our good fortune in full. It needs to exceed the hollowness we feel for the times things don’t work out the way you hope.
May 23, 2008 at 4:09 pm |
Steve, you are now required to drink only Boddington’s during the really big games!
We were still pretty new back in 1999, weren’t we? Even though I knew that winning three titles was no easy task, the ensuing years demonstrated just how hard it is to win even one title. Because we have such good coverage now of both EPL and CL, we know that every single step of the way was really tough and not a single point or win could ever taken for granted.
I guess if it was easy then everybody could do it…being hard is what makes it great. (To steal a favorite Tom Hanks line from A League of Their Own–one of my favorite sports films)!
May 23, 2008 at 4:21 pm |
I live 25 miles outside Boston, though I could not get out of work and into town soon enough to see the start of the match. On the east coast, we’ve got plenty of people who are United fans, but given the Irish population density, the majority of football fans who’d turn out here in the States for such an occasion are Liverpool supporters.
Terry’s misery? Agonizing to watch. If you’ve seen the fantastic Ali documentary When We Were Kings, you may remember a scene in which the writer George Plimpton expresses a profound sympathy for the vanquished fighter George Foreman. That quote was all I could think of when the camera continually cut back to Terry’s anguished face. As much as I was exulting United’s victory, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Terry, a class player and stalwart leader.
May 23, 2008 at 6:15 pm |
I was at the Fado in Philly with the World Soccer Daily crew….I am a hard core united supporter and it was great to see everyone at the bar having a great time….i have been to NFC Championship games, great college football games, and baseball games, but the atmosphere in the bar was at the top of the list… And the game lived up to it for drama. I think that at one point I could not breath…Glory Glory Man United
Here are some snaps of Fado in Philly during the game.
http://sportzwriter316.blogspot.com/2008/05/professional-tailgating-champions.html
and my brother being on WSD
http://sportzwriter316.blogspot.com/2008/05/endy-in-outfield-goes-global.html
May 23, 2008 at 9:38 pm |
Tim, I’ve heard that When We Were Kings was great–I think I’ll put that on the Netflix list. The summer of 2008 will be one for Terry to forget, as he’ll soon be reminded of England’s failure to qualify for the big Euro tournament in a couple of weeks.
I didn’t know about the Liverpool affiliation of Boston fans, but I guess it makes sense because of the Ireland connection. I would guess that most people here in Chicago support United (like most of the US), because of their high profile since the early 90’s. I’m just glad that more Americans are supporting any team, really.
Joe, thanks for those links. Of course I recognize Steven Cohen from Fox Football Fone-In, a show that I will greatly miss during the summer. I see that I need to check out World Soccer Daily.
Yeah, it’s more fun to look back on the dramatic moments when you can’t breathe than it is to live through them, isn’t it? At least that’s the way I look at it. I can only guess how unbearable it will be if we (the US), ever advance very far in the World Cup. There will seriously be a lot of people having seizures.
May 25, 2008 at 7:58 pm |
Well, it’s good to read that Americans are filling in bars/pubs to watch a real football match. I don’t know if too much of that took place in Kansas City (with the probable exception of the 810 Zone). I watched it at home, I don’t think we have a Fados in the KC area. Though, finding the bright side to Barca’s loss, I am happy they lost to the best team in Europe.
My heart got some exercise just sitting and watching the match, if I was a strong supporter of either team, I may have had a stroke or a mild heart attack.
As for my favorite player Ronaldo missing his kick, I don’t think he was prepared for Cech to just stand there. He’s so used to keepers biting to his stops (and his was a stop and a half), but Cech, what a cool head stayed on his line. Don’t think Ronaldo will go to Spain anytime soon. Poor John Terry, he’s just such a competitor and a leader for his team, I still feel for him. His header save in extra time was absolutely amazing.
Why did Chelsea fire Avram Grant? I don’t know the story behind Chelsea’s coaching issues but, I read that Grant was on the hot seat since he took over for Jose Mourinho (still don’t understand why they got rid of Mourinho). I just read that Sir Alex is to be at Man United no longer than 3 years. What a job he has done.
R.S.
May 26, 2008 at 3:25 pm |
Hey R.S.!
). On a non-footy note, how is school going? When will you be done?
It’s great to hear from you. Steve & I were just talking about you the other day (only good stuff
I think Ronaldo has tried the same trick with his penalties once too often. Cech did his homework before the game and was ready for him. Ronaldo is brilliant, but he’s not mature yet. I hope he does mature while United still have him. He won’t go to Spain just yet, but it will happen.
The Grant-Mourinho-Abramovich drama is too much of a soap opera for me. I know that Chelsea fans were all over him for some of the starting sides that he fielded, but that’s true for every manager–even Sir Alex. Who would have thought that Chelsea could come so close to a double back in the fall when Mourinho was let go? Then again, they were lucky to have made it to the CL final and owe a lot to poor John Arne Riise.
Too bad we can’t clone Sir Alex. It’s his eye for talent, both young kids and seasoned players to go after in the transfer market, that’s brought them so much glory.
Who will you be supporting in Euro 2008, R.S.? Spain? Portugal? Nobody? It’s almost more enjoyable that way!
May 27, 2008 at 12:38 am |
Yes, it is I… R.S. I have a blog here giving it a try under a different alias. I also convinced my mom to start a blog here too. Her name is cheesecake61. I don’t know why. She asked me for ideas, I threw at her Tiffany, Jessica, Jessie, Amanda, Sarah, Stephanie, etc. and she chose cheesecake…
I have a least one more year left, and if I want, another semester to get more research experience. The next two semester (not including summer) will be 18-20 credit hours. Something I’m definitely not looking forward to, but I believe I’m prepared to handle. I’m going to start looking for “real jobs” over the fall, perhaps taking the GRE, and maybe applying for Grad School. However, I may take a year off before I decide to run off to Grad School though.
That Chelsea manager issue does seem like soap opera. Will Chelsea ever be happy with who they choose?
What club do you suppose Ronaldo may end up on? I’m thinking the obvious choices of Madrid or Barca. I don’t think any other club in Spain at this point has enough influence or money to lure him away from the two giants. Long shot maybe C.F. Valencia but I’m not too sure about anyone else.
My allegiance is strongest with Portugal then with Spain for the Euros. Portugal has a tough group but with the players they have, they should (stresses should) advance. Watch for Quaresma midfielder from F.C. Porto, he’s all right foot but he can be lethal with it.
R.S. er I mean adam84…
May 27, 2008 at 10:56 pm |
Hi “Adam”–how can I find your blog? I searched adam84 and nothing came up. I like your mom’s name–especially if it’s something like peanut butter/chocolate chip cheesecake, or heath bar cheesecake…
Ouch–that is a long, big year if you are going to take 18-20 hours per semester. That must be the limit for coursework. You must be happy to have the end in sight, at least. I don’t know much about the field of psychology, I know that there are many different fields within it. The research sounds fascinating, though, and I’m sure you’ll have a tough time deciding which direction to take.
If Ronaldo has another year or two like the past one, then I’m not even sure if Real or Barca will be big enough for him. I don’t know too much about La Liga outside of those two and he will certainly command a huge price by then. His ego will be sooooo huuuuuge….(it is already).
I’m keeping my eye on Portugal too. The football talent that country produces is remarkable, given its size. That’s why I was thrilled that Freddy Adu went to Benfica. He didn’t get that much playing time, but he is young and you figure that environment can only help develop his talent.
Did you hear that DaMarcus came back from that long injury in time to score a goal and an assist to help Rangers win the Scottish Cup (I think it was the Scottish Cup)? I do hope to see him in action tomorrow!
Thanks for stopping by!
May 28, 2008 at 1:45 am |
When I read DeMarcus’ name I had forgotten about him. I thought he was still with PSV and I had no clue that he was injured or got transferred to Rangers. I was also glad that Adu made the move to the Portuguese Campeonato. It’s too bad that he’s on the rival side though. But that league is a great place to develop a part of his full potential. I guess this year was an observation year for him. We may see/hear of Adu getting more playing time in the 2008/09 season.
Mom loves cheesecake but I have no idea what kind if there is a specific kind that she likes. It might be the fact that it’s just cheesecake to her.
20 credit hours is the limit during Fall and Spring semesters. I’m going to be pushing it. Psychology has a bunch of directions to go to. The direction I’m heavily leaning toward is the neuroscience aspect of it appropriately named Neuropsychology. It’s a relatively new field. It deals with the neurological aspects of behavior and other cognitive processes. Ex. How the hippocampus is a memory consolidator when we sleep. So studying before taking a nap, then after the nap, go over what was studied before the nap will help memory retention and recall. Things like that. I’m eyeballing a possible internship at KUMed in town (KC area). But, yes, this will be a “painful” year.
I think Ronaldo can have that ego, no matter how unfair I think it is. He certainly has the talent and the looks to support it. Who knows he may settle down and mature when it’s time for him to choose another club. The only four clubs in Europe that I know of that Ronaldo could go to that are as big or even bigger (big = prestige) than Barca and Madrid are, Manchester United (already done), A.C. Milan, Juventus, and Bayern Munich. In the La Liga C.F. Valencia is just below both Barca and Madrid in terms of recent success, but that’s my opinion. Imagine… Ronaldinho goes to Milan, then down the line Cristiano Ronaldo follows. Milan will be one unfairly stacked team with Kaka, Pirlo, C. Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho!
The address is [http://onelife84.wordpress.com].
adam84
May 28, 2008 at 3:54 am |
Given his Iberian roots, I can’t see Ronaldo going anywhere but La Liga. I suppose money and the promise of some high-profile teammates might lure him to the Serie A, as you point out. But I don’t ever see him in Germany.
I wonder how many CL trophies he has in his future? Then again, those things are hard to come by, even for the greatest players.
If DaMarcus could have stayed healthy at Glasgow Rangers, he would have played in the UEFA Cup final–a full year of Euro experience. I think he just turned 26 the other day so he still has some good years left.
Good luck with that internship. Sounds like you’re heading toward a Ph.D. in Neuropsychology!
June 20, 2008 at 5:25 pm |
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation
Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Emergent!