by Roman (Germany)
I have to say in advance, I’m German and I’m a big soccer fan. But my hopes for a German triumph
at the 2014 World Cup were very low. The team didn’t play very well in the months prior to the
tournament and there were also some injured players who didn’t even make it to the World Cup
team. But then – after an incredible game against Brazil – my team reached the final game against
Argentina. So I had a big problem: How to watch a World Cup final in the motherland of baseball?
Also, how to celebrate our probable victory?
At first I have to deny a rumor: American people do care about the World Cup. Of course, not like
people in Europe or South America, but they do care.
After four weeks of watching the World Cup in San Francisco, I discovered some places to go that I
can recommend for future travelers.
Golden Gate Tap Room (Sutter and Powell)
This is a very good place for people who like beer, but it is not a good place for indecisive people.
The Golden Gate Tap Room serves over 100 different beers all day from all over the world. Also,
the quality of the food, compared to other bars, is really good. If you go there with a bunch of
people, choose some side dishes and starters and order them for the table.
Besides beer and food, this bar is a great place to watch any major sports event because of its
many big screen TV’s. If there is no game when you go, you can have fun playing a lot of gaming
machines, Foosball, and pool.
Union Square Sports Bar (Mason and Eddy)
I found this place by accident while I was looking for a place to watch the semifinal between Brazil
and Germany. When I arrived at the bar, I never expected to see the most remarkable halftime in
the history of the World Cup. The atmosphere at this very typical sports bar gives you an extra
kick while watching sports. The choice between different beers is very good, but you should eat
somewhere else before going there, because the variety and quality of food is very modest.
Public Viewing at Civic Center (City Hall)
At the Civic Center, in front of the City Hall, the city erected two big screens to show all the games
of the World Cup. During the final game, the whole place was crowded with half Argentinian, half
German people. Unfortunately, the screens were only there for the World Cup, but maybe the city
will decide to rebuild them for other sports events. It would be worth it, because the atmosphere
was unbeatable.
My German Friends and I decided to go to the Civic Center because of the atmosphere. After the
game, we joined some other German people to go to the “Biergarten”, a typical German outdoor
restaurant. To be honest, the beer was from Germany and it was very good, but the food was at
best “German style” and did not compare with the food in a real German Biergarten or restaurant.
Nevertheless, after winning the World Cup, we had a lot of fun anyway.