Mirsad Hatic Marks June 11 Kickoff as Usa Fifa Watch Parties Fill Tempe
usa fifa opened on June 11, and Tempe fans spent Friday evening following the tournament’s first matches before the USA played Paraguay at 6 p.m. The gathering centered on a simple split screen of loyalties: Bosnia, Canada, Ecuador and the United States, all under one roof in a city already leaning into the 48-team event.
Ojos Locos Cantina
Mirsad Hatic and Frankie watched the Bosnia match at Ojos Locos Cantina, with Bosnia and Herzegovina drawing Canada after a noon kickoff on Friday. Hatic, who immigrated from Bosnia in 1997, said, "We’re here to support our Bosnian team," and later added, "We emigrated from Bosnia. I immigrated in 1997."
He also tied the match to something bigger for people like him. "It means a lot, you know, it means a lot. You know, people get to see kind of where, you know, where we came from and stuff like that, and see our flag, our name out there," he said about Bosnia’s game against Canada. That emotion was part of the draw in Tempe on opening day: a World Cup crowd that was not just watching, but choosing sides by family history.
Tempe Eats Food Hall
Across town at Tempe Eats Food Hall, Miguel Abad watched Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina with Elyse, an 11-year-old soccer player who said, "It’s like every four years, it’s not every year," and, "It’s fun that I’m playing soccer at the same time that they are." Abad said, "My family's from Ecuador, so catching any game I can," and called the scene "pretty special" because "all these cultures come together."
He also pointed to the sport’s growth in the United States, saying, "It's definitely grown a lot. And now that it's on our own turf, really validating." Tempe Eats is offering specials and discounts to people wearing their favorite team’s jersey, which helps explain why the food hall became one of the easiest places in the city to catch the early matches.
Tombstone Brewing Parties
The local setup reaches beyond one bar or food hall. The Phoenix chapter of the American Outlaws is hosting official World Cup watch parties at Tombstone Brewing, while FOX and FOX Sports are carrying all 104 matches over more than five weeks. For fans in Tempe, that means the kickoff on June 11 is not a one-night event; it is the start of a long run of places to watch, pick a side and keep coming back as the tournament moves forward.
