Més Que’s general manager said she expects the venue to be busy once again, when the World Cup begins.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Dozens of soccer fans gathered Sunday at Més Que in Buffalo to watch the final day of the Premier League season.
There, they celebrated their favorite clubs and a strong sense of community that extends beyond team rivalries. The Hertel Avenue pub was filled with fans cheering on their favorite players, with supporters representing clubs including Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United.
Despite backing different teams, fans there said there is a sense of community here no matter who you’re rooting for. And as the Premier League season comes to a close, many local fans are already looking ahead to the FIFA World Cup.
Més Que’s general manager said she expects the venue to be busy once the World Cup begins, and Buffalo’s soccer community gathers once again to watch the sport’s biggest event.
“The sense of community is awesome,” Emily Juette said. “Everyone’s super welcoming to newcomers. You know, there’s the friendly banter, of course. There’s a lot of like national pride coming from people from here, people from overseas that find their way in here and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is awesome.’ We put all the flags out for the countries that are playing that day.”
Canada will be the main attraction when the World Cup kicks off in Toronto on June 12.
“It brings people together,” one fan said. “It’s a family community affair. Everybody’s welcome, and you know, we just love getting everybody together for regular matches, all the matches, and especially for big events like today because we’ve waited so long for it.”
Here’s the complete schedule for games that will be played at BMO Field in Toronto:
- Friday, June 12: Group B — Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 3 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 17: Group L — Ghana vs. Panama, 7 p.m.
- Saturday, June 20: Group E — Germany vs. Ivory Coast, 4 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 23: Group L — Panama vs. Croatia, 7 p.m.
- Friday, June 26: Group I — Senegal vs. Iraq, 3 p.m.
- Thursday, July 2: Round of 32 — Group K vs. Group L
