Rudy's billboard sign draws people in
Group G winners, Brazil and runners-up, Portugal have moved on towards the Round of 16. The teams fought hard throughout the 95-minute match June 25 in Durban, yet neither changed the scoreboard even once. Rudy's Pub and Grill in Newport Beach was open well before 7 a.m. to turn on the many TVs inside for their guests to watch.
At the start of the game, Brazil was in first place and Portugal was third, according to the FIFA World Cup rankings, even after their players have been warned or kicked off the field for more than just fouls. Brazil's Melo was yellow-carded about 40 minutes into the game. Portugal's Coentrao was yellow-carded four minutes later. In the second half, Brazil's goalkeeper, Cesar, had to have his back iced after a Portugal player attempted to score. Though it was a tough game to play, the final outcome remained the same at 0-0.
Rudy's bus blends in with the building
Happy that their team is advancing, Orange County-based brothers Dominick and Christian Diaz, were both rooting for Portugal. However, they were upset, because they woke up early to watch the match, expecting either team to win.
Dominick and Christian Diaz expect more from Portugal
The Portugal vs. Brazil game was expected to be a huge crowd-puller, but Rudy's was not packed like they have been in the past. It was a huge letdown that did not generate much information on the Southern Californian perspective. The cities of Orange County have not proved to be very World Cup spirited. It is possible that the time difference from South Africa has contributed to this disappointment, as the host country is nine hours ahead of California. Pubs might not want to risk opening their doors too early if people are not willing to come out to watch the games when they could be sleeping. One's best option is to locate one of the few genuine English or Irish pubs in the county.
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