Fansided

The 6 soccer fans you are most likely to meet

By Dan Voicescu

AALBORG, DENMARK - AUGUST 16: Two elderly fans of AaB Aalborg watches the play during the Danish Superliga match between AaB Aalborg and Esbjerg FB at Nordjyske Arena on August 16, 2014 in Aalborg, Denmark. (Photo by Lars Ronbog/FrontZoneSport via Getty Images)
AALBORG, DENMARK - AUGUST 16: Two elderly fans of AaB Aalborg watches the play during the Danish Superliga match between AaB Aalborg and Esbjerg FB at Nordjyske Arena on August 16, 2014 in Aalborg, Denmark. (Photo by Lars Ronbog/FrontZoneSport via Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles, UNITED STATES: German soccer fan Silvia Moore (R) and her friends watch the first first match of the 2006 World Cup between Germany and Costa Rica, 09 June 2006 at a pub in Los Angeles.Germany beat Costa Rica 4-2 in the opening match of the World Cup. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES: German soccer fan Silvia Moore (R) and her friends watch the first first match of the 2006 World Cup between Germany and Costa Rica, 09 June 2006 at a pub in Los Angeles.Germany beat Costa Rica 4-2 in the opening match of the World Cup. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) /

The Social Butterfly

The advent of the modern sports Public House emphasizing comfort, glitz and safety over grit and authenticity, has given rise to a soccer fan category that prizes the social benefits of game-viewing above other aspects of fandom. A soccer event matters to this group inasmuch as it allows them to step up their social game, meet people and forge relationships. These are the people for whom sports make up the lingua franca, the common ground and language that brings them together. Soccer is the world’s sport. A summer soccer tournament is the perfect pretext to go out and carouse in a social setting while the “beautiful game” is on. You don’t even need to know much or care deeply about the sport.

Posing as a soccer fan during big tournaments provides great social bonding benefits without any of the negative stereotypes of other sports. You’ll never be mistaken for a mouth-breathing, unsophisticated NFL type if you’re headed out for an Italy-Chile quarterfinal game. Imported brew in hand, replica national team jersey on — the Nepal or Zimbabwe jerseys are a dead giveaway that we’re dealing with a social butterfly fan of the hipster variety —  and you’ll never be mistaken for a boring, nerdy, out of touch fan of America’s pastime.

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Soccer bars tend to be a little more posh and sophisticated compared to the dive bars that show broadcasts of the regional sports channels, serve only domestic beer and attract mostly rubes. If you don’t care deeply about the local team in one of the major sports, the appeal of a soccer bar may be directly related to its menu, which offers only the finest IPAs, along with grass fed and cage free produce. The “big” soccer games generally take place during daytime, serving as a perfect set up for a boozy social outing. Soccer is the new brunch.

These fans just wanna have fun. Interacting with them is generally a light-hearted affair, conferring you the opportunity to shape their understanding of the sport and go through the finer points of the game.

Enjoy the game, however and with whomever you choose to consume it.

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