By Simone Sebastian, Jim Scott, Patrick Hedlund and Josh Williams
DNAinfo Staff
MANHATTAN — The 2010 FIFA World Cup is finally underway in South Africa!
Soccer fans from here and abroad came together in bars across Manhattan Friday to watch the opening matches as work in the city generally ground to a halt.
First up was Mexico versus South Africa at 10 a.m., which ended in a 1-1 tie.
"It's getting festive. People are excited about the prospects," said Brett Curtin, owner of Braai, a South African restaurant on West 51st Street.
Braai had 98 reservations for the morning Friday, a huge number compared to the 80-100 reservations they typically get on a busy evening.
“People really care about this. They take it seriously," said Carl Howard, 52, a baseball-loving Manhattanite from Hell's Kitchen, who was catching the game at Braai. "It’s just entertainment to me. To be around people who have their heart and soul in it, you get swept up in the enthusiasm."
Linda Jardine, 52, who moved to the Upper East Side from South Africa 18 months ago, was teary-eyed as she talked about how important the games are for her home country.
“We’re such a soccer-loving nation," said Jardine, who was watching with her daughter, Kirsty. "Hopefully this will put South Africa on the map."
Kirsty, 25, has lived on the Upper East Side for less than three months. Watching the World Cup made her miss Johannesburg.
"I'm getting homesick from watching all of this. I have to go somewhere there are other SAs watching," said Kirsty. "It’s hugely important for us."
Wrapped in South African flags, fans packed into the South African-themed bar Bunny Chow on Orchard Street to cheer on their beloved Bafana Bafana.
“I couldn’t be in South Africa, so I made sure I was here,” said Neil Matthee, who originally hails from Capetown but now lives on the Upper West Side.
The 32-year-old recently accepted a new consulting job, but made sure to time the departure from his old company to coincide with Friday’s contest.
“I put in notice, so my last day was actually yesterday, so I have a couple of weeks to focus [on the tournament],” Matthee explained.
Peter Friedman, another South African ex-pat, will hop on a Johannesburg-bound flight Sunday to take in five games in five days.
Describing himself as an “aging old soccer player from South Africa holding on to a lost dream,” the 37-year-old from Battery Park City said he hadn’t planned to head back for the tournament until he got some prodding from home.
“My wife said I was an idiot for not going,” said Friedman, who’s from Johannesburg and often travels to Africa for business.
He had a ticket to Friday’s match, but chose to leave Sunday instead to avoid the 40 hours of travel he faced to make in time for the opener.
Still, he’ll get the chance to see his home side play against Uruguay next Wednesday.
“I’m getting earplugs for that one,” he added.
While the self-employed Friedman made sure he had no scheduling conflicts Friday, Christian Koumtog attributed his attendance to a curious illness he came down with that morning.
“That’s a very good question,” the Chad native laughed when asked why he wasn’t at his job as a customer service agent with a cable company. “I wasn’t feeling good.”
His questionable health aside, Koumtog, 26, of Queens, beamed when speaking about his home continent’s first time hosting the biggest sporting even in the world.
“I’m just grateful that I’m alive to witness this,” he said, describing the feeling as “humbling.”
“This is a moment for everybody all over the world to experience Africa,” Koumtog added. “I’m just overwhelmed.”
Mexican fans in the East Village were more subdued as their team worked a draw.
"It’s pretty laid back, but everyone’s into the game," said resident Julissa Arce, 27, who was watching the game at Mercadito. "It’s serious watching.”
Mexico was heavily favored to win Friday, but settled for a tie after a goal was waived off on a controversial offsides call.
“A win is always better, but we’ll take it," said Arce, a Mexican-born Spanish Harlem resident. "They robbed us of that first goal.”
At the Circle Rouge French restaurant on West Broadway and North Moore in TriBeca fans caught the second match of the day — Uruguay versus France.
Jezz Harkin, who is rooting for Uruguay, met Helene Semmel, who is from France and cheering for her home country at the restaurant.
“It’s a special time in new york city because the whole world lives here," Harkin said. "Cab drivers, waiters, everyone has a common interest and everyone is talking about the games.”
Harkin said he was rooting against France because his team, Ireland, lost to the French on a controversial call in World Cup qualifying.
But most New Yorkers have circled Saturday on their calendars as Team USA takes on England.
A point not lost on South African fan Kirsty Jardine.
“Tomorrow we’ll be up early supporting the U.S.”
