U.S.-England World Cup face-off draws growing soccer fan base to local viewing

Nov. 26—Friday's scoreless draw in the World Cup soccer match between the United States and England cost Greensburg's Scott Fidazzo $100.

Fidazzo, 25, bet the United States would win. But, he said, "It's a fun bet. It makes watching the game more interesting."

He was among area soccer fans who packed the restaurant and bar at Live! Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield to watch a live broadcast of the game being played in Qatar.

He was pleasantly surprised by the full house at the Westmoreland Mall venue.

"It looks like a Steelers Sunday in here," he said. "It's good to see how many people care about soccer."

Fidazzo acknowledged the U.S. team was the underdog and was pleased at halftime that it had kept England from scoring.

"They're young, and they're talented, " he said of the U.S. squad. "It feels good to be proud of something."

The presence of Christian Pulisic, who hails from Hershey and was credited with four shots for the U.S. team, provided an added level of interest for local fans.

"He's our main guy. They call him Captain America," said Bobby Tayner, 40, of Greensburg. Tayner has been playing soccer since he was 6 and coaches area high school and youth recreation teams.

"It's nice to see this turnout," Tayner said. "This is a decent crowd. It's nice to see that soccer's catching on."

But, he pointed out, "A lot of these people probably only watch soccer once every four years," when the World Cup is held.

Interest in Friday's game also got a boost because the United States team was playing its rival from across the pond. That caused some friendly rivalries among the U.S. fans who were in the vast majority and the few native Brits at the casino.

Liam Hackett, 36, a native of the Liverpool area living in Jeannette, came to the United States three years ago to help promote a soccer club. He has since made friends in Southwestern Pennsylvania — including fellow fans of England's soccer team and others in the U.S. camp, such as former neighbor Tayner.

"I'm here with all my friends, but they said they're not my friends today," Hackett said with a grin.

Hedging his bets, Hackett placed a wager England would win 3-1 and another fortunate one predicting a 0-0 result. During the scoreless first half, he said, "I was hoping we'd be winning already, but we're OK."

Hackett attested to the growth in soccer's popularity in America since his previous stay here 15 years earlier. But, he said, the Westmoreland casino crowd couldn't compare with his compatriots who were watching the game in England.

"If you had someplace like this in England, it would be impossible to sit down," Hackett said. "It's too quiet here. In England, everyone would be shouting."

A similar amiable rivalry provided added interest for members of the Beadling 2011 East boys soccer team, a squad of 11-year-olds from Pittsburgh's eastern suburbs who attended the World Cup game viewing with their parents.

The team's pro-England contingent includes parent Joe Mayes, 37, of Jeannette, a native of Cambridgeshire, England, who has been living in the United States for 12 years.

He lost bets England would win Friday, but, at least, the team didn't lose.

"If we win, it's amazing," he said near halftime. "If we lose, I'm probably going to go back to England."

Mayes is convinced England has the better team.

"England are more passionate about the World Cup because that's all England has," he said. "In America, you've got football, hockey and all that.

"In England, every kid plays soccer. Here, you've got to choose."

Though he was born in America, Mayes' son, Sonny, joined his dad in rooting for England.

In the event of a win for the U.S., Sonny said at halftime, "I would be very mad because England should win. I've been supporting them all my life."

Beadling teammate and friend Armaan Duggal of Murrysville hoped for a U.S. win but wasn't counting on it.

"I would be surprised and happy," he said.

Scott Cramer, 35, of Greensburg, who attended the viewing with friends from Texas, noted the United States' run in the World Cup has provided a unifying cause for most American sports fans who might support any variety of different teams in other major league sports.

"Every four years, you can get up for this," he said. "Everybody gets to root for the same team. I love it.

"I think soccer is growing very quickly (in popularity). It's getting bigger and bigger every year."

While Friday's game ended in a draw, it proved to be a definite win for the casino.

"Our restaurant has 280 seats, and we stopped taking reservations," said Sean Sullivan, general manager. "It's packed."

Screens of all sizes provided soccer fans plenty of viewing opportunities on both of the casino's two levels.

"From a wagering perspective, over 200 bets were placed today on the game," Sullivan added. "We're seeing a new interest develop because of the World Cup. People who don't traditionally bet on soccer are starting to gravitate toward it."

On Tuesday, the United States will play against Iran in another attempt to advance in the tournament.

Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff by email at jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter .