VIVE LA FRANCE!

MEDIA BAR PACKED WITH SOCCER FANS TO SEE FRANCE CAPTURE WORLD CUP

MEDIA » Minutes into the start of the FIFA World Cup Final game, Harold Quiro already had a sense of the outcome.

“Croatia is having a good run and has the momentum,” Quiro said of initial field control, “but France’s players are better.”

Not that there weren’t many others at the Sterling Pig Brewery at the west end of State Street, but Quiro had one advantage. A native of Costa Rica, the Ridley Park resident said soccer was his “first sport.” He could and does watch soccer at every opportunity, England’s Premier League and a variety of international leagues. However, he strongly emphasized he loves the Eagles and is a total sports fan.

Quiro was one of several dozen locals who filled the Sterling Pig by 11 a.m. Like many other couples and groups, Denise and Stephen Stuhltrager of Ridley, along with their nephew, Andrew Stuhltranger, cited the good food, drinks and company.

“I saw on Facebook the place was opening earlier for the game. It was just a different thing to do today,” said Denise, whose soccer interest developed as her children took up the game. Stephen noted the sport was “not on the radar back in the day.”

The crowd non-team-partisan, hoping just for a fun time. But there was a slight leaning toward Croatia as the underdog. This is a Philly sports sentiment, after all. No one seemed to pay much attention to the fact that the Pig is owned by Loic Barnieu, a native of France. Could be he was loudly cheering at Tap 24 on State Street, another in his restaurant mini-empire in the borough.

Clearly no one found their way to the Pig just for the burgers or sweet potato fries. They were there for fun and the game. Matt Yuknek of Glen Mills, noted he was friends with one of the brewers. At the bar with his wife, Jessi, and buddy Mike Fetch, Yuknuk said he is serious about soccer, and a big supporter of our local Major League Soccer franchise, the Philadelpia Union, which just happens to play its home games at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester. He and Fetch were also geared up for the car show scheduled for State Street in the borough – until a late-morning deluge swamped those plans.

Eric Day of Upper Providence brought along his son, Elliot, 10. The senior Day had just come back from Europe where he caught a variety of soccer matches in different locales.

“Cities are practically shut down during the games. They have giant screens in the parks and there is a lot of yelling, people having a wonderful time. We’re here today waiting for a friend who is just back from France. He wants to carry on that energy.”

Presumably the friend was happy at the 4-2 final, as France won its second World Cup, 20 years after the first. Presumably Barnieu was happy at his home country’s win and a good business day.

Assuredly the crowds at Sterling Pig and elsewhere in Media were happy to have another great experience in Everybody’s Hometown.

World Cup fans take in the championship game of the World Cup at a packed Sterling Pig Brewery in Media Sunday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS France players celebrate with the trophy after defeating Croatia in the final at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow Sunday.

SUSAN SERBIN – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Getting ready for World Cup action at the Sterling Pig in Media are members of the Kirkpatrick family, left to right William, Billy, Alyce and Ally, and their friend (and employee at Kirkpatrick Nursery in Edgmont) Matt Collins. Ally played soccer at Penncrest and Kutztown University.

SUSAN SERBIN – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Mike Fetch, left, of New Jersey joined his friends Matt and Jessi Yuknek of Glen Mills as they take in the World Cup final, France vs. Croatia, at the Sterling Pig in Media Sunday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS France’s soccer fans sing their national anthem in Red Square, with the St. Basil’s Cathedral in the background, after France won the final match between France and Croatia at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow Sunday.