Local Sports Watch Sites Expect Solid Crowds During World Cup

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - With the highly anticipated World Cup starting this week, viewing sites are expecting big, if not, capacity crowds.

Several will be adding staff, and special food items to respond to the viewing parties.

A number of sites already have banners up.

Among them, the Santa Barbara Public Market – which has an Instagram post advertising all games will be shown. It has one of the largest TVs on the Central Coast at 100 inches. Often Cooney's is packed for major sports events.

Other popular places include the Press Room, Dargan's, O'Malley's, Institution Ale, Finney's Crafthouse Buena Onda Empanadas and the newly remodeled Sandbar.

The Michael Towbes Central Library Plaza will also have a big screen up Friday at 6 p.m. when the U.S. team faces Paraguay. Astro turf will be put down and the public is invited to bring chairs and food.

Some of the fans will be cheering the U.S. team for every match but others are going to raise their voices for their home country.

And with the two teams, Qatar and Austria training in Montecito and at UC Santa Barbara, there are new fans for those countries, especially if they have met the athletes in the last week.

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