World Cup fans pack Santa Barbara Public Market to watch final
It was standing room only at The Garden inside the Santa Barbara Public Market for the World Cup final as France took on Croatia.
The cheers and roars were deafening as people rooted for their chosen team.
Jake Ainciart of Santa Barbara sat at a table with friends all cheering for France, except for his roommate who was pulling for Croatia.
“It’s OK, we live together, so I have to be somewhat kind to him,” Ainciart said. “We might not speak for a couple of days after this.”
France bested Croatia 4 to 2 in an exciting game as fans went wild.
“I’m so happy!” said one fan who is a French student studying in Santa Barbara. “Twenty years ago, France won for the first time, and now 20 years later, we win again. It’s amazing!”
After the game was over, disappointment was clearly written on the faces of Croatian fans. But, Caitlan Racich, who is Croatian, said she was still proud of how far the team got.
“Croatia is such an amazing country, and they played really well to make it to the final. I was super proud to be here watching them,” she said. “I was really bummed with the outcome because I’m truly a Croatian fan.”
