CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Tuesday morning's World Cup match between Mexico and Poland had Chicago fans of both teams waking up early to watch what ended up being a draw on the pitch -- but a win for the spectators.
Kevin Grish, the operating partner at Cleo’s Bar in West Town, said he’s been preparing for a year to host soccer fans for the World Cup.
"What I really love doing in this job is making a party for people, and this is the biggest party on the planet right now," Grish said.
Jose Lugo said taking his kids, Jacob and Caleb, to Cleo's Bar for soccer matches has become a tradition.
"They've been coming here since they were very young, and their number one sport they love to play is soccer," Lugo said.
So, of course, they were at Cleo’s on Tuesday to cheer on Mexico in its World Cup opener against Poland, which started at 10 a.m.
Caleb said he likes the sense of community Cleo's creates.
"If a lot of people are rooting for the same team and there's someone that makes a great play, it gets really loud, and you can feel how happy they are to watch the game," Caleb said.
He was talking about the moment during the game when Poland missed a penalty kick. Lugo said it’s these moments that make him appreciate the sport so much.
"You just ride the momentum,” Lugo said. “It's like being at the game without being there actually, you know."
Also at Cleo’s was Amanda Rozier, who described the pub as a “little pocket of international, cultural vibes.”
“It’s just unexplainable how whatever’s going on in the world, this sport, this competition, can kind of quell what’s going on, or it kind of just makes it go into the background a little bit,” said Justin Chang, another patron.
Jose Garza, who was rooting for Mexico, struck a similar tone.
"The World Cup just brings the world together, and I just love watching it," Garza said.
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