Share
Beer flowed and "The Star-Spangled Banner" became the drinking song of the afternoon as World Cup fans gathered in an internationally flavored Charlotte sports pub Saturday to see the United States play Ghana.
The two-story bar, Courtyard Hooligans, was bursting at the seams with soccer enthusiasts.
Two of the building's three rooms didn't have working air conditioning, but soccer fans still packed the stifling rooms. Some viewers spilled outside into the cozy alley called Brevard Court, where the pub owners set up a small canopy with a big-screen TV.
Inside and out, fans clad in combinations of red, white and blue chanted "USA! USA! USA!"
Co-owner Kristian Pedersen said World Cup games sometimes get heated when supporters of both teams cram into the bar, but he hadn't had major issues with fans getting rowdy.
They taunt each other, he said. "But all in good fun."
The U.S. opposition sat in the back of an upstairs room. Tendayi Kapfidze, a Charlotte resident, and a group of his friends had come to support Ghana.
Kapfidze is from Zimbabwe, and he cheered on the last African team left in this year's tournament.
The group of Ghana supporters, quiet before, made their presence known by Kapfidze's vuvuzela, a plastic horn that blew almost nonstop after Ghana's first goal at the fifth minute.
By halftime, Kapfidze bubbled with excitement at Ghana's 1-0 lead. He admitted that he would be equally happy if the U.S. won, but said a win would mean more to Ghanaians and people from other African nations.
"People would be crying on the streets in Ghana if they lose," he said as the game continued.
Sitting next to Kapfidze, Nima Pirzadeh cheered for the American team.
"We're holding on right now - it's a like a battle with these guys," he said. "We're all friendly, though."
At game's end, some U.S. fans left in stony silence after the 2-1 overtime loss. But others chatted with the group of Ghana supporters. One man wearing a U.S.A. shirt even gave Kapfidze a big hug.
