italian language course: World Cup interest growing in Brevard

Pubs open early for soccer games

BY KAUSTUV BASU
and DONNA BALANCIA
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Soccer stock up. Troy Evridge, team sports associate at Dick's Sporting Goods at Melbourne Square mall, stocks the soccer ball display Wednesday. The World Cup soccer tournament begins Friday in Germany. Rik Jesse, FLORIDA TODAY

Simon Wells says everything else will stop for him when the World Cup matches start Friday in Germany.

Wells, the co-owner of the Dog 'n' Bone pub at Cocoa Village, will be following the monthlong soccer extravaganza, with teams from 32 countries playing 64 matches.

Several billion people worldwide will watch on television. In Brevard County, many of the most avid viewers likely will be expatriates from countries that have deep soccer roots.

Wells who is British, already has arranged for a big-screen television at his pub. On the days England plays, he expects a full house. Some games will start as early as 9 a.m. Eastern time.

"During the European Cup two years ago, this place was jumping," he said.

Local soccer-gear retailers also anticipate a boost in business from the World Cup.

"We brought in some jerseys from Brazil, Mexico, Italy and USA. We're ready," said Michael Werner, team sports associate at Dick's Sporting Goods in Melbourne. The store also carries a full line of soccer equipment including balls, pumps, soccer shorts, cleats and shin guards.

The growing popularity of youth soccer is likely to help boost the interest of the World Cup in this area.

"Soccer is one of the biggest sports down here for little kids," said Mark Zmayefski, manager of The Sports Authority in Melbourne. "The kids will start looking up their favorite players on the USA team. I think the kids are getting into more of the world soccer. It reminds them of the Olympics.
They like watching USA beat other teams."

"All you have to do is look around the county and see the demands for facilities. You have new soccer fields popping up everywhere," said Rusty Buchanan, executive director of Space Coast Sports, which works to bring sporting events to Brevard.

"We're a sports-driven country, and this is a huge event that happens only once every four years," he said. "They were even talking World Cup on David Letterman."

Home countries

Peter Collett, owner of The Pig & Whistle English Pub in Cocoa Beach, believes he'll get a lot of crew members off the cruise ships coming into his establishment to watch the teams from their home countries playing in the World Cup.

"I expect most of the games to bring a good crowd," Collett said. "I know that, because we have people phoning up from the cruise ships, asking if we'll be showing the games.

"We'll be opening in the morning at 9 a.m.," he said. "We've had three deliveries of beer already. Obviously, everyone's hoping to see America do well. But a lot of the crew members are the soccer fanatics."

Wells at the Dog 'n' Bone pub said locals who did not follow European soccer soon became involved.

"I am rooting for England and America," he said.

As the tournament progresses, the pub will start offering drink specials.

"If you pick a team, and your team scores, you get a free drink," he said.

Change coming?

England has won the Cup only once -- in 1966 -- but Wells feels things might change this year.

Wayne Savage, president of Brevard Caribbean American Sports and Cultural Association, said people from the Caribbean are excited because Trinidad and Tobago has qualified for the World Cup for the first time.

"For the next few weeks, we are all Trinidadians," he said.

Savage said some members will be watching the games at a Beef 'O' Brady's in Palm Bay.

"It is a good feeling," he said.

The Cup is a bonding experience for many expatriates.

Tania Valverde, a Melbourne resident of Costa Rican descent who plays soccer on Friday nights, said, "It's a big deal," and many Americans "do not realize how big it is in the rest of the world."

Costa Rica plays the first game of the Cup on Friday against Germany (11:55 a.m., ESPN2).

Defending champion Brazil has won the World Cup a record five times since the tournament began in 1930. Its fans not only own the bragging rights, but tend to be among the most passionate and colorful.

West Melbourne resident Beto Schaffert might be the quintessential Brazilian soccer fan.

This month, the systems engineer at Harris Corp. is going to start work early and take a break when Brazil plays its matches.

"I will go back to work later," he said.

Once the second round begins, Schaffert is off to Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to watch the games with friends and family.

"I just do not want Brazil to play the United States," Schaffert said. "My dad is American; my mom is Brazilian."

Ready to watch

In Titusville, Peter Olivo, who owns Valentino's New York Style Pizza & Restaurant, said he will be watching some of the games at his Searstown Mall restaurant with his patrons.

But that is not enough for the soccer aficionados in his family.

They will be following the Cup on an Italian-language channel broadcast through the Dish Network.

Brian Rye, president of Central Brevard Soccer, admitted there was a huge difference between interest in other countries and here.

"That's their culture. They have grown up with it," Rye said. "But more people here know about the World Cup than before."

Contact Basu at 242-3724 or kbasu@flatoday.net.