For the last Women's EUROS Final in 2022, I went to Brit's. ABOTO wasn't around then. I don't know my thinking, but it's my usual soccer go-to, plus it is a British pub and England was in the Match against Germany (and England won).
I was going to go there, but ... I wanted to see a Group State Game there on a weekend, but they wouldn't open until noon and the Match started at 11 a.m. I decided not to go out at all. Conversely, I made it to two concurrent Group State Matches at A Bar Of Their Own. Not only was the set-up perfect but they had sound. ABOTO is committed to showing women's sports, and that commitment was in full force.
This past week, when I took time off from work, I went to both places to watch one of the tournament's Semifinals. I went to Brit's on Tuesday. Love the set-up and I love the food (although the fries with tikka masala was deceptively huge and heavy). I kind of wish they would've turned up the volume a tad, but maybe management was worried that most of the people eating there weren't there to see the Match. I'm certain that won't be the case today/Sunday.
I then went to A Bar Of Their Own on Wednesday. It may have been that this took place on a weekday afternoon or there was torrential rain pouring outside, but the place was sparse; only several people were there to watch the Match. But we had the run of the place and we could see and hear it just fine.
The Final starts at 11 a.m. I am OCD enough that, when one of these places advertised that they would be open at 11 for a Women's EUROS Game that also starts at 11, I wouldn't go. I want to see the Match from the beginning, and frankly, rushing in at the top of the hour to find a seat and hope the TV is turned on and tuned to the right channel isn't good enough for me. And I certainly won't accept it for the championship. That, at least according to both places, won't be a problem; Brit's says they'll open at 10:30. Meanwhile, before I left, the server said that even though they usually open at 11, they'll open 15 minutes prior so everyone can get situated before Kickoff.
Then, an attractive woman who sat two seats down from me about halfway through the First Half of the Match said, "See you Sunday." Honestly, that's the deciding factor. I'm going to Seward.
I have only a few quibbles. ABOTO is farther away from me than Brit's. Parking might be tighter there than in downtown Minneapolis. The atmosphere might be better at Brit's because I think there should be a sizable contingent of Lionesses supporters who want to watch at a British pub. Finally, I am going to wear my Tampa Bay Mutiny jersey because I make a point of wearing it and my San Jose Earthquakes jersey at least once a year. I wore my Earthquakes one to Brit's on Tuesday, and besides Minnesota United FC Matches (and I usually wear my Loons sweaters there), I won't have another occasion to don my Mutiny one, so today/Sunday it is. I might, just might, get some guff for wearing a Major League Soccer -- read: male -- sweater to a women's sports-only bar. More likely, though, people will ask me, "What's a Mutiny?"
I hope this is the right decision.
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