World Cup watch parties return San Jose San Pedro Square after Sunday relocation
Excitement ran high on Monday morning in San Jose's San Pedro Square as the venue opened up again for World Cup watch parties ahead of the U.S. Round of 16 match with Belgium.
By moving the watch party back to the cozy confines of San Pedro Square, the city of San Jose took a calculated risk that the passion for soccer would not be quite the same for fans of the U.S. team as it was for Mexico.
Around noon, fans were already gathered at San Pedro Square to watch Monday's first match between Portugal and Spain. One such fan, Tommy Thompson, wasn't paying much attention. He lives in Southern California but came to San Jose to take in the evening game between the U.S. and Belgium.
"That's why I came early, to make sure I can secure a spot," Thompson said, laughing. "I'll be here all day," he added.
Securing a spot had been a challenge in the past week, especially for the games featuring Mexico. It's estimated that 40,000 fans tried to jam into the square to watch Tuesday's win over Ecuador.
When that game ended, fans seemed reluctant to leave, and police declared the area an "unlawful assembly." Two people were stabbed in separate incidents and officers made multiple arrests. To prevent another similar incident, Sunday's watch parties were moved from San Pedro Square to the SAP Center and the park at Discovery Meadow.
Despite the new, roomier accommodations, after that game ended, police once again had to deal with a huge crowd in the street, including a non-fatal shooting a few blocks away.
"We're fortunate that once we issued the dispersal order for the unlawful assembly, that the crowd complied immediately," said SJPD spokesperson Stacie Shih. "And so, the scene was cleared shortly after, and we were fortunate that no additional enforcement was needed."
The watch party was back at San Pedro Square for Monday's game, and because crowds have certainly not been reserved for Mexico games - the last time the USA played, the street was also packed with people - one man already had his spot all staked out.
Joe, who didn't give his last name because, as he said, he may have called in sick so he could stand at his perch in the parking garage for six hours until game time.
"I've got a bird's eye view. I'm not in anyone's way," he said. "I said, 'You know what? Save yourself the headache and make sure you enjoy the experience.' And the only way is to plan ahead. And when I say 'ahead' I mean a few hours."
Though some Americans may think soccer is boring, that may be because most of them haven't watched a game surrounded by throngs of roaring fans, as this reporter discovered while talking to Joe when a goal was nearly scored.
"Portugal, Portugal! España, España!" the rival fans chanted back and forth.
"You can't beat that feeling right there!" Joe said. "That's exactly why I'm here, bright and early. You can't beat it!"
For now, San Jose plans to continue the watch parties at San Pedro Square. There has been no word yet on whether the events may have to be moved to larger venues if the United States continues to win in the tournament.
"I love that so many Americans want to watch the game," said Thompson, adding, "I hope everything goes well. And I hope the most amount of people possible fit into this place safely and have a great time."
