A bus and storefronts at a downtown Evanston street corner. Photo: Eric Fredericks from Rancho Cordova, CA, United States / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
The 2014 World Cup was under way in Brazil, and the U.S. men’s team opened Group G play Monday, June 16, against Ghana at 6 p.m. Eastern, which is 5 p.m. in Evanston. Two more group games followed: Portugal on Sunday, June 22, at 6 p.m. Eastern, and Germany on Thursday, June 26, at noon Eastern. Plenty of Evanston bars and restaurants planned to show the matches.
South Evanston and downtown
Peckish Pig, 623 Howard St., is Evanston’s first brewpub, run by owners from England, which made its televisions a natural spot for the tournament. Downtown, Celtic Knot Public House, 626 Church St., was among several places to catch the games, and 27 Live, 1012 Church St., usually a live-music room, planned to show every match on what it called the largest screen in the downtown area.
Bat 17, 1709 Benson Ave., has a sports bar space on the right as you enter, with multiple TVs and pool tables, plus an import, craft and domestic beer list and an all-day breakfast menu. Tommy Nevins, 1454 Sherman Ave., advertised its World Cup coverage on Facebook and Twitter. JT’s Bar & Grill, 1639 Orrington Ave., said on its Facebook page that it would show all the games with the sound on.
For a different crowd
Trattoria D.O.C., 706 Main St., is an Italian restaurant rather than a sports bar, but it installed televisions specifically for the tournament. That suits anyone who would rather eat pasta and drink wine than split a plate of wings.
Away from downtown, Bluestone, 1932 Central St., has long been a go-to for sports viewing of all kinds and was expected to draw a World Cup crowd.
Schedules can change, so checking each business’s website or social media accounts for the day is the safest bet.
The U.S. was drawn into Group G with Germany, Portugal and Ghana. The three American group matches fell between June 16 and June 26, a compact stretch for fans to plan around.
Match times from the tournament schedule published at Bleacher Report.
Rachel Lindqvist covers community life, the lakefront, dining and the arts for The Evanston Edge.
