The World Cup isn’t just about watching soccer. The sights and sounds, the highs and lows, the camaraderie — everything that accompanies the once-every-four-years global tournament begs one to enjoy at least one game surrounded by fellow revelers.
And who can forget the sounds of 2010’s games in South Africa? The ubiquitous vuvuzela, a straight, droning horn with the charm of a P-38-sized bumblebee, soundtracked the thrilling heroics as preserved (temporarily) the hopes of , punctuated with cheers, fist pumps and high fives.
Gone this year are both vuvuzelas , to be replaced by host nation Brazil’s samba music and, one can hope, a new American hero as the United States faces an impossibly difficult first round of play against Ghana, Portugal and Germany. That means pundits predict the United States could play as few as three games in this year’s World Cup, and the truly optimistic say they’ll play four.
All the more important, then, to have a gameplan of your own — here’s where you can watch and what you can expect, whether you’re trying to watch from the first kick at 2 p.m. on June 12 as Brazil takes on Croatia, or saving your energy for the final a month later, at 1 p.m. on July 13.
Skyline Park
a grassy area along Arapahoe Street from 15th to 18th Streets near the 16th Street Mall, will be filled with soccer fans watching live broadcasts of some of the early action on a 20-foot screen during the . The watching is free, and food and drink vendors will be on hand. Also advertised are face-painting, entertainers, a beer garden, drumline and player appearances.
The park is reserved for World Cup action specifically from Fri., June 13 through Mon., June 16. Fans will be able to catch 13 games live, including the first U.S. game. More information is available at .
Soccer bars
A more familiar experience may be that of squeezing into a packed bar of fans of all nations and ordering a pint to go with the game. The World Cup is mercifully during (slightly) more reasonable drinking hours this year, thanks to not being half a world away. Here are some well known suds ‘n’ soccer havens in the area.
2052 Stout St., Denver, 303-295-7974
Open at 7 a.m. every day during the World Cup, all games live. Planning outdoor watch parties for U.S. vs. Germany (June 26) and the final (July 13).
2048 Larimer St., Denver, 303-295-0215
2239 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, 303-997-6886
Open at 7 a.m. every day for 10 a.m. games, open at least three hours before first kick for all games. Outdoor beer garden on the York St. side for the full month.
1801 Blake St., Denver, 303-308-1795
2175 Sheridan Blvd., Edgewater, 303-232-2128
Plans to close off parking lot and project some games outdoors. Call for details.
1922 13th St., Boulder, 303-449-1922
Open for all games. Official Boulder home of the American Outlaws U.S. fan club. Planning big things for the June 22 U.S. vs. Portugal game, pending city approval, and don’t be surprised if the festivities involve current Colorado Rapids defender , son of Connor and .
520 S. Tejon St., Colorado Springs, 719-633-3300
Showing most games, but not all. Along with Jack Quinn’s, McCabe’s will be giving out soccer scarves for , the new Colorado Springs-based USL Pro (minor league) soccer team. The first 100 people through the door to watch U.S. vs. Ghana (June 16) will get a scarf, which will also score them 50 cents off of Guinness pints.
21 S. Tejon St., Colorado Springs, 719-385-0766
Showing all U.S. games, others by request. See McCabe’s listing for scarf giveaway information.
Country-specific watch party suggestions
You can bet the bars above will be packed with folks rooting for the stars and stripes (and England in many cases, too), but what if you’re looking for like-minded fans of another country? Much like you can find Green Bay Packers fans holed up on gamedays, you’ll likely find supporters and expats of specific nations gathered around screens in the following reliable venues.
Argentina — , 1298 S. Broadway Ave., Denver, 303-934-2221
Colombia — , 5922 E Colfax Ave., Denver, 720-436-4581
Costa Rica — , 15355 E Colfax Ave., Aurora, 303-344-0488
England — British Bulldog and Three Lions, listed above, are good bets.
Germany — 2540 19th St., Denver, 303-729-1175
Honduras — Lempira Restaurant, 1452 Uinta St., Denver, 303-321-1430 and El Pelicano, above
Mexico — A couple of places with good reputations for soccer-watching atmosphere: 12 E. 11th Ave., Denver, 720-382-1940; 2616 W. 32nd Ave., Denver, 303-455-4389.
The Netherlands — 1735 19th St., Denver, 303-297-0066
South American teams — 8501 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, 303-322-7777
Spain — 8236 S. Holly St., Centennial, 303-488-0101
Family-friendly venues
The World Cup brings out some pretty strong emotions. Paired with those emotions can occasionally be a bit of rough language. You might try creating a family-friendly place to watch the World Cup with other soccer parents, be it at someone’s house or just by agreement with a local pizza joint. There are also these options:
Skyline Park, see above.
1933 28th St., Boulder, 303-938-9166
Special seating built in the middle of this soccer gear shop for the World Cup will allow more people to watch on their projection TV.
Dave Burdick: 303-954-1957, dburdick@denverpost.com, Twitter:
When does the U.S. play?
You can find the full World Cup schedule online at , but here are the three known U.S. games. Show up to your venue early to score a good place to sit (or stand).
vs. Ghana
Mon., June 16, 4 p.m.
vs. Portugal
Sun., June 22, 4 p.m.
vs. Germany
Thu., June 26, 10 a.m.
All times Mountain.
