NEW YORK — When Leroy Sané scored less than two minutes into Germany’s June 25 match against Ecuador, the German House of Soccer erupted.
Nearly 10 miles away, more than 80,000 fans watched from MetLife Stadium. But for many of the Germans gathered in an event space in Chelsea, the watch party offered something the stadium could not.
“The food, the drinks, all the Germans,” said Bennet, a fan who traveled from Frankfurt, when asked what made the watch party appealing. “I think it’s nicer here because in the stadium there are more fans from Ecuador.”
The German House of Soccer, a temporary World Cup home for German fans, offers free admission, large TV screens, and German food and beer. Several hundred fans arrived two hours or more before kickoff, and by the start of Deutschlandlied, Germany’s national anthem, there was almost no standing room left.
It’s one of many watch parties around New York drawing fans and brands outside official FIFA events.
