CHICAGO – It’s 10 o’clock Friday morning here in the Windy City and I’m in a place called McFadden’s, on State Street not too far from the John Hancock tower and Lake Michigan.
Normally it’s a charming little pub – in fact, it was about an hour ago – but now the mood is grim and the language is a bit salty.
Like the rest of the folks who have crowded into the place, I’m here to watch the World Cup. The turnout at McFadden’s, one of dozens of bars and restaurants in the city that opened early today, is at least 200. This is a soccer-supportive city, after all, having been a host during the 1994 World Cup and the home of Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire.
These fans know the game and know a stinker when they see one. The U.S. is laying an egg against Slovenia in a critical Group C game. It’s halftime and the Americans are down 2-0 to a country with a population of just 2 million, which is about a million less than Chicago.
Slovenia is wearing a Charlie Brown-looking jersey; apparently there’s a Nike “Peanuts” collection. Of course, that look is 100 times better than the U.S. team’s Miss America sash jersey. No tiaras, though – they might pop the ball on headers.