Friday, June 16, 2006

Where to Watch World Cup Football in San Francisco?

Couleur Cafe, 300 DeHaro St, San Francisco, CA 94103

**UPDATE** July 07: Check here for updates about where to watch the world cup final 2006 between France and Italy in San Francisco on Sunday July 9th.

*UPDATE* Watch France play also at Cafe Bastille

or

Watch England play at Mad Dog in the Fog.

photograph picture couleur cafe san francisco world cup football 2006

Top right, the man who helped me name my blog, David Beckham, England's captain.


It's not the manner in which I am accustomed to watching Eng-er-land play world cup football. A cramped pub, full of excited fans, decked out in the team's colours of red and white, lots of beer, cheering and chanting is what I am more used to.

Yesterday we decided to watch the game at our local French Cafe. At 9am in the morning, biting nails over a bowl of cafe au lait with fresh baguette and merguez sausages was an unusual way to see the match. Just a handful of well-dressed Brits, who had perhaps snuck out of their offices for a very early lunch, watched on tenterhooks as England very slowly managed to clinch a win over Trinidad and Tobago, ensuring a place in the next stage of the tournament. I think that deserves a chilled glass of 1664! How very civilised? Maybe... but, of course, we all hollered and screamed when the necessary goals were scored.




Links, Resources and Further Reading
Reviews of Couleur Cafe:
Tablehopper
Pengrin Eats
Bunrabs


Archive Alert! On this day in 2005: Edible borage flowers


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Where to Watch World Cup Football in San Francisco?

6:06 PM  

9 Comments:

  • At 16/6/06 10:07, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Nice to see a shot of they blog namesake, now if only you had one of Skinny Ass Spice to go along the cameo would be complete!

     

  • At 16/6/06 11:49, Blogger Lea said…

    Grats on the win! =)

    I know my Dave had to watch his on his lunch break in his office break room. I feel so bad for him knowing his favorite sport is so diminutive in this country, and he shares his excitement with only one other person (from Iraq) in his entire office.

     

  • At 16/6/06 13:58, Blogger Monkey Gland said…

    They left it a bit late as far as I was concerned! And poor old Lampard had a 'mare.

    Still Spain won 4 - 0, so I ran around the office hollerin' like a loon!

     

  • At 16/6/06 16:48, Blogger Owen said…

    Engerlund, engerlund, engerlund!
    Engerlund, engerlund, engerlund,....

    Look for an illegal chinese app called TVU that lets you stream ESPN to your office computer. I never told you this...

     

  • At 17/6/06 01:45, Blogger gagatka79 said…

    I watched Brazil with Chroatia over a splendid hot chocolate with orange flavoured whipped cream and that was nice. Yesterday I went through a terrible flu so nothing really tasted well - even those 6 shots from Argentine...:(

     

  • At 17/6/06 16:18, Blogger fifa2006 said…

    Chinese World Cup blogger racks up 10 million hits
    from Yahoo News 16 June,2006
    BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing blogger and podcaster Dong Lu registered his 10 millionth hit on Friday morning, racing to the landmark on the back of China's obsession with the World Cup.
    The 36-year-old's irreverent take on soccer's showpiece, produced with the help of three friends in the living room of his apartment on the northeast outskirts of Beijing, has proved hugely popular with China's on-line audience.
    Sporting a multi-coloured Afro wig and a fake moustache, Dong presents
    a podcast every other day featuring caricatures of leading players, parodies of the many soccer-themed adverts on Chinese television and the occasional song.
    "We do it for fun, out of passion for football," Dong, looking suitably bleary-eyed after another all-night session in front the TV watching the action from Germany, told Reuters.
    "The World Cup is a great event for everybody whether from small countries or large ones, rich or poor."
    TALK FREELY
    Dong is no media outsider, however. He covered the 2002 World Cup as a journalist and still finds time for his day job as a columnist with a weekly sports paper.
    Some have suggested the reason for the enormous popularity of sport and showbiz blogs in China is because they allow people to talk freely.
    "In sports journalism there is relative freedom of expression and we can give our opinions about a match and other sporting issues," said Dong.
    "In other fields such as the social and political arenas, there are regulations. I've spent 10 years working in the media and I understand the line that can never be crossed.
    "There are many other interesting things in life for me to talk about. It's about fun, not trouble."
    Dong started his blog last November to air his views on life, music and his love of soccer.
    "At first I wasn't sure if anyone would be interested," he said. "But it took off after a month and the start of World Cup finals has brought an extra 100,000 hits a day."
    Like many China, whose team failed to qualify for the finals, Dong is backing Brazil and his yellow number nine shirt signed by Ronaldo is never far from view.
    "Someone offered to give me a car for it," he said. "But I turned them down."
    Asked what his wife thought of him turning their apartment into a television studio, Dong laughed: "She's very supportive of what I do. I'm her superstar."
    www.fifaworldcup-yahoo.co.uk
    Dr Han (Super football fans)
    PAIN IN BRISTOL-- www.backachetherapy.co.uk

     

  • At 19/6/06 05:09, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Googled on places to view the world cup in SF.... and hey I'm swedish so we'll be facing you guys on tuesday at 12pm. I'm Really looking forward on that game but i'd rather see it as a lonely swede in a brit-pub than with a baguette in my hand in some cafe. Any tips on good places in SF that shows the games? =)

    Good luck on tuesday!

    one a sidenote, ill check out that app you were talking about owen, thanks ;) I've also heard about another asian software called PPLive thats supposed to be streaming the game live

     

  • At 19/6/06 11:19, Blogger Sam said…

    Anon - how about The Chieftan in SoMa? That's where I watched the Rugby World Cup and it is suitably pubby.

    I would like to wish your country luck, but, well, when you are the opposing team I am not sure if I can...

     

  • At 19/6/06 16:00, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hey thanks Sam. I'll check that one out, seems good. I might wear something gray and tone down my swedish accent while going tho hehe.

    Feel you with the wishing for luck thing-but hey your coach is Swedish so it might be a little bit easier for me. If not Sweden, England is definitely the team im routing for in the World Cup.

    And on another random sidenote, in the same way i found my way here. I saw in your profile that you're a VFX artist in SF. Im doing 2d and currenlty Im looking for work in the area.. so if the place you're at needs someone with my knowledge
    here's some of my work; http://home.no/rasseltassel2/liteportfolio.htm
    ...hehe not so anonymous anymore -_- Not meaning to put any pressure on you.. just surfing the random wave.

    okay thanks again and hmm... have a good tuesday!

     

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