Being tourists visiting Healdsburg, Sally Chapman and her boyfriend Rusty Salas were supposed to be wine tasting, but instead got caught up in the noise at the Healdsburg Bar & Grill (HBG).
“We should be out at some winery, but right now a beer seems more appropriate for watching England play,” she said as the couple watched a late morning World Cup game with Tunisia. “We watch the English league teams all the time, so I know some of these guys on the English team.”
The month-long World Cup is already a week old and local sports-oriented bars and restaurants are having some difficulty accommodating the schedule of games that puts most of the early contests in the early morning hours, some beginning as early as 3 or 5 a.m., Pacific Time.
Most taverns in this area, like HBG grill and Bear Republic, don’t usually open until 11 a.m., which is the hour of the last of the day’s scheduled matches at venues in Russia.
HBG assistant manager Sam Estomba said it isn’t likely to open early, although the bar is getting more and more crowded as soon as it does open.
“We had crowds for all the Warriors games and I am sure we’ll get some interest in the World Cup. People are already asking the bartenders about the schedule,” she said.
Every day through June 28, there are soccer matches among teams representing 32 nations, which is more than enough to attract the attention of niche fans like those who favor teams from Iceland or Senegal or the powerhouse favorites like Germany or Brazil. After that, there is a knock-out stage before the July 15 final.
This year’s cup — a quadrennial worldwide event that boasts of being the most watched sports contest on the planet — is even more disappointing to soccer fans and to sports bar operators as well, because the U.S. team failed to qualify. Neither did the Italian team, often the default choice for Americans.
“I don’t know who to root for this time, so maybe I’m picking Belgium to win,” said Chapman, who lives in Denver. “If I can’t have the Americans or the Italians, I’d like to see some underdog win.”
Here are spots in Healdsburg where you may catch World Cup games:
Elephant in the Room, 177 Healdsburg Avenue, opens 11 a.m. and has one screen inside and one on patio;
Bear Republic Brewing Company, 345 Healdsburg Avenue, opens 11 a.m. and has three television screens;
John and Zeke’s, 420 Healdsburg Avenue, opens 11 a.m. and has two screens.
