World Cup Fever Sweeps NYC As Fans Watch USA's 1-0 Loss To Germany
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- It seems like all of New York was glued to Thursday's World Cup match between the U.S. Soccer team and Germany.
The first two U.S. games at this World Cup kicked off at favorable times for watching on television back home, but the Americans' group finale Thursday was smack in the middle of the workday.
Germany defeated the United States 1-0 to win
Group G ahead of the Americans, who also advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup despite losing.
World Cup Fever Sweeps NYC As Fans Watch USA's 1-0 Loss To Germany
With two wins and a draw, Germany topped the group with seven points, while the U.S. progressed with four. Portugal beat Ghana 2-1 but both were eliminated.
"We lost, but we won. It's OK. We made it, we made it!" one fan told 1010 WINS' Gary Baumgarten in a packed viewing area.
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Many eager fans set work aside Thursday to watch the match. Ronnie McCoullough showed up at a midtown sports bar at 7 a.m.
World Cup Fever Sweeps NYC
"I said, 'don't call me in, I'm going to be in the city watching the game,'" he told CBS 2's Weijia Jiang. "He said I was nuts then just shook his head at me."
Die-hard soccer fan Erwin Seguia planned ahead for the game.
"Called out two months ago," he said.
The bold watched the game at work in plain sight.
"We have TVs. We'll have them on and we'll have food," said fan Derek Richardson.
Even Mayor Bill de Blasio's office took time out Thursday to cheer on the U.S. men's soccer team.
As WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported, if soccer is religion, then Nevada Smiths in the East Village is church.
When asked if U.S. soccer fans are as crazy as the Argentinians, Patty McCarthy, who runs the bar, said "They're not as bad as the Mexicans, I tell you they're the craziest."
World Cup Fever Sweeps NYC As Fans Watch USA's 1-0 Loss To Germany
U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann even posted an online note for people to give to their bosses
The note says, in part, that the absence is for a "good cause," saying the team needs the "full support of the nation" if they are to advance to the next round.
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