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Hello, Downtown!
Last week, thousands of barroom TVs showed skinny dudes wearing oversized red-and-white-striped uniforms. They looked like escapees from the Where’s Waldo Prison for Athletes. Sartorial style aside, a victory by the United States Men’s National Team against Paraguay ignited a frenzy for the U.S.-hosted FIFA World Cup 2026.
Downtown San Diego is expected to fill bars and restaurants with red, white and blue fans. As well as an international coterie of folks who can turn a sports bar into a beer-drinking facsimile of a model U.N.
For American sports fans, it’ll be tough to top the excitement of the New York Knicks winning their first NBA title in 53 years. On soccer’s side, the country has already forgotten who won the NHL title. And will spend decades trying to forget a UFC card on the White House lawn.
It’ll be hard to miss the World Cup, with its 104 matches played over 39 days. That’s almost double the March Madness college basketball pace.
Bar and restaurant owners will monetize every minute of the sport Pelé called the beautiful game. That’ll mean emphasis on packing ‘em in for the U.S.’s Group Stage games on June 19 versus Australia, and June 25 against Turkey.
More than a few downtown spots are showing all the games, including Barleymash, Garage Kitchen and Bar, Happy Does, The Smoking Gun, Tom’s Watch Bar, Union Kitchen & Tap, Werewolf, Whiskey Girl and more. The Rooftop Cinema Club is showing matches. Queenstown Public House is ready for New Zealand’s games. English footballers should head to Princess Pub & Grill. Go to Noir Sushi for sake and South Korea’s games.
Soccer, indeed, is in season.
Ron Donoho
Downtown News newsletter host
Downtown story spotlight
San Diego County accuses major sushi supplier of forcing grocery sushi chefs to ‘pay to work’
By Dorian Hargrove • Times of San Diego
San Diego County is supermarket sushi companies for violating labor laws and running an employment “misclassification scheme.”
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