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Here are some of the sights and soundbites from area bars as Madison paused to take in the Cup together. Photos and quotes compiled by Kait Vosswinkel.
[1]The upper bar at Cooper's Tavern was full one hour before the game.
[2]Cooper's Tavern was at capacity for USA vs. Portugal.
[3]"I'm not a fan at all. This is my one piece of Americana. It's my dad's. He used to rock motorcycles back in the '70s. I've got my bike parked right out front. It's a Yamaha Raider 2012." - Kenny Casados, restaurant host
[4]"It's really cool how all these countries, even if they have political differences, can come together and just participate. It's not every day you get to see places like Iran and the U.S. play, possibly even against each other." - Ryan Swanson, UW-Madison
[5]"It's fun because it's high stakes. It's not just any game." - Lizzie Collins, left. "I like...the fact that you can enjoy having a drink even though you're far from your home and watch a random game." - Guillaume Ramstein, French student
[6]"During a USA match, it's pretty easy to understand what's going on just based on the facial hilarity that goes on in front of you, and the rise and fall and the swell of the game that you can hear." - Jeremy Bazely, bartender
[7]"You know, some people aren't into college basketball until the Final Four. I'm not even into soccer when the World Cup is playing." Gina Euhardy, Merchant regular
