By Sarah Brown, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Over the course of this month, The Rio Times will be hosting a series of special Rio World Cup MixUp events, bringing fans together to watch all of the England and USA Group games for the FIFA football (soccer) tournament. Held at the popular Gringo Café, the event will have a large screen to show the matches, major drink promotions, food specials and a DJ for before and after the matches.
The Rio World Cup MixUp will be co-hosted by the U.S. Consulate General, the American Society of Rio de Janeiro (AmSoc Rio) and the British and Commonwealth Society of Rio de Janeiro (BCS) ensuring an international crowd of local expats and Brazilian guests.
Sam Flowers, owner of Gringo Café, has supported several of the Rio MixUp events in the past. He shares why he is looking forward to the next one. “Watching the games in a group is so much better,” he smiles. “It makes it a collective experience and more sociable. It’s a special feeling.”
He adds, “the Gringo Café is unique. It is big enough to host an event like this, yet small enough to create an intimate atmosphere where fans get a chance to mingle and socialize. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Anna Whyte from BCS, describes how this event will embrace the international spirit. “For the USA games there will be all-you-can-eat wings and ribs, and fish and chips for the England games. […] There will also be World Cup jerseys raffled off – England, USA and Brazil – for those who can correctly predict the winning team!”
Stone Korshak, editor and publisher of The Rio Times, explains why this event is unique. “Previous events like the Rio Writer MixUp have been focused around arts and culture. This series will have a different focus and bring new folks into the mix […] maybe more travelers will make their way along with the local expats to cheer on their team. We’re hoping it will be quite a party.”
Sara Mercado Matthews, Press Officer from the U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro said that they were proud to be a partner of these events. “Shared interest in a sport is one way to bridge cultural and other differences,” she explains. “We are thrilled so many Americans have decided to come to Brazil to watch the 2014 World Cup matches.”
“Not everyone can be in the stadium for every match, so the U.S. Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro is proud to partner with our friends in the American Society, Gringo Cafe, and The Rio Times for these viewing parties. We look forward to cheering on the U.S. Men’s National Team as they take on Ghana, Germany, and Portugal in the first round.”
The events will be held on all of the England and USA games – a total of six confirmed parties:
The Team USA Group Games:
vs Ghana at 7PM on Monday, June 16th
vs Portugal at 7PM on Sunday, June 22nd
vs Germany at 1PM on Thursday, June 25th
The England Group Games:
vs Italy at 7PM on Saturday, June 14th
vs Uruguay at 4PM on Thursday, June 19th
vs Costa Rica at 1PM on Tuesday, June 24th
With luck, the two teams will power through the matches and reach round sixteen. If this is the case, the Rio World Cup MixUp events will continue with the USA match at 5PM on either Monday, June 30th, or Tuesday, July 1st. If England gets through, the next match will be either on Saturday, June 28th or Sunday, June 29th at 5PM. The entrance free is free and has special discounts on beers at R$5 long necks and R$10 caipirinhas.
What: Rio World Cup MixUp @ Gringo Café
When: Saturday, June 7th at 7PM
Where: Barão Da Torre 240, Ipanema
Entrance: FREE