Fans of the Women’s World Cup in the United States on Tuesday had a critical decision to make based on a distinctive 3 a.m. kickoff: Stay up late or wake up early?
At Banter Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, patrons groggily stumbled through their next important decision — caffeine or alcohol, or both? They stifled yawns as they powered through the wee hours or stirred themselves from unsatisfying naps, in hopes of watching the U.S. women’s national soccer team rally in its showdown with Portugal for a spot in the single-elimination portion of the World Cup.
Cups of coffee and pints of beer were the most popular drinks, but there were also plenty of Bloody Marys, gin and tonics, Red Bull vodkas and even tequila shots — a choose-your-own adventure style Monday night or Tuesday morning, depending on your perspective.
“We were going to open for this no matter what,” the bar owner Chris Keller said. “We’ve been packed for every U.S.A. game.”
And packed it was, despite the hour. Across the United States, bars opened early or stayed open late to host soccer fans looking for a shared experience or even just a cable connection. In New York and Washington, D.C., as well as Columbus, Ohio, and Portland, Ore., and points in between, fans disrupted their regular sleeping…
