On most Tuesdays in July, I would not be ready to roll right now. I probably would be drifting in and out of sleep, or on the computer fooling around, not showered and shaved. Yet I was almost ready to go at 8, and now I’m about to leave the Overland Park Marriott and make a break for it.
The reason for the early start: USA-Belgium. The match isn’t until 3 p.m., but I want to be at Buffalo Wild Wings for opening at 11 a.m. so I get my table. I’ll play a lot of trivia and eat a lot of wings, especially since they’re 60 cents a wing on Tuesdays.
You think Americans are a wee bit overconfident? ESPN.com’s poll on the front page of its site asks if the US or Belgium will win this afternoon. Out of 114,000 votes cast, 78 percent favor the Yanks. Let’s not forget (a) this is the world’s football, not American football and (b) the Americans have advanced past the round of 16 only once since 1934.
So far, the better team has won every World Cup match in the knockout stage, even if it has taken extra time, and in two cases, a shootout. Brazil over Chile. Colombia over Uruguay. Netherlands over Mexico. Costa Rica over Greece. France over Nigeria. Germany over Algeria. If that holds up, Argentina and Belgium should send Switzerland and the good ol’ USA packing.
I’m certain people were camping out overnight at the Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City to get a place for the watch party. It was packed so tightly for the US matches with Portugal and Germany it didn’t look like one could breathe, much less move. If the US continues to advance, there ought to be a larger venue opened, either Sprint Center or Sporting Park.
Chicago isn’t waiting. Today, the watch party moves from Grant Park to Solider Field, home of the Bears. I doubt there will be 62,000, the capacity of the stadium, but it should be at least two-thirds full.
Foots Prints 