Orlando and I went to Avaya Stadium in Santa Clara this morning to check out the viewing party for the 2018 World Cup. Avaya Stadium will be hosting viewing parties for every single game for free, including game starting at 3 a.m. Sadly, we were unable to go to the 3 a.m. game since was just a bit too early in the morning for us. But we went to see the Spain vs. Portugal match that kicked off at 11 a.m. This game was very hyped up and was one of the most anticipated matchups in the first stage of the tournament.
When arriving at the stadium, we saw people in the lawn waiting for the game to start. There were all different kinds of people of all ages—we saw old people and little kids running around—and and of all different attires, from t-shirts to suits. There was also food, games and face painting at the event.
Hundreds of fans attended, many dressed and painted to support their team. Some of the more intense fans had face paintings and had flags of their team logo. Supporters for both teams were in attendance, maybe a few more Portugal fans that we saw dressed up.
As the game began, we saw many people sitting in chairs, covered with blankets and lying on the grass to watch in anticipation. When Ronaldo, the star for Portugal scored the first goal just a few minutes after kick off, the crowd erupted. Despite a relatively small crowd, it was still loud and amusing to watch the reactions of fans. Sadly, we had to leave during halftime to meet our deadline. We highly recommend checking out these watch parties. To attend, all you have to do is RSVP and it is completely free.