New Haven: goooaaaaal!

I got so excited when Paul, from the New Haven Collective sent out a Facebook invite to watch football (i.e., soccer, not the other football) at Anna Liffey's. I was feeling nostalgic all of a sudden and immediately BBM-ed my sisters, one who is in Brighton, UK for school and the other who is in Nairobi, Kenya about how I was going to watch Sunday's football games and that I needed a quickie, refresher course. And so came in their sage advice. If I wanted to remain part of the family, I would NOT cheer for Manchester United. And Arsenal? Well, that's just clearly the best team. Chelsea was also a favorite, but only one family member thought so.

So, off I went to meet Paul, my adventure buddy Dave and others at Anna Liffey's with what I've discovered is a serious local football fan base in New Haven. Who would've thunk it?? I thought football was dead in America, let alone New Haven. I have to say Anna Liffey's was the perfect choice of place to watch football. The legendary dark underground Irish pub was packed with awesome beer-chugging rowdy fans mostly of the male species; many clad with Liverpool home colors (ahh..safe zone) and with an equally serious, grumpy bartender who might just kick you out if you do so much as crack a smile. I ordered my Newcastle in the most manly of voices, avoiding to annoy him even more with my nasaly one and focused in on the second half of the Liverpool vs. Manu game while waiting for my beer. It's so nice to be back watching football.

Anyway, so I got the beer and joined Dave, who was watching the game in the upstairs patio, under the sunshine. It was too warm and sunny to stay cramped up underground, (plus avoiding The Beer Nazi downstairs was a priority), but three beers later, we were starving and had to go back down. We watched the next game (Arsenal vs. West Ham), avoiding eye contact with the said bartender over the yummiest Irish breakfast and of course, more beer and naturally, more laughter. Anna Liffey's offers drink specials at every match and even has a soccer club, which I might join if they let me. By 2pm, we were full, buzzed, happy and ready to move on to our next lil adventure.