World Cup Fever at Cantina 914
Mexican soccer fans filled the tables at Cantina 914 yesterday afternoon in the minutes before the first kickoff of the World Cup. The world’s biggest sporting event, about to begin in Mexico City. Pride filled the place. Something bigger than sport.
One fan regaled us with his experience attending a game in the 1986 World Cup, the last time Mexico hosted the games. The legendary Mexican music groups – Maná and Los Angeles Azules- came on for the opening ceremony, and we all went a bit crazy.
It was a great place to watch the games. The Cantina, on Nepperhan Avenue, isn’t a huge sports bar, but rather a family-run, friendly establishment with loyal customers. For many of us, it was the first time to see a World Cup match in our home country. The Mexico vs. South Africa match was the first in Mexico since 1986. Not quite as bad as the Knick’s five-decade championship drought, but soccer is our national passion.
Faviola Tovar, the Cantina’s friendly owner, was clearly thrilled to be the host. “We opened in 2022 and weren’t really ready to host watch parties for the World Cup,” she said. “We would put the games on, but we wouldn’t promote it.” Faviola explained that she’s been around football her whole life and loves to share the beauty of it. “Football unites a lot of cultures and it represents people everywhere.”
We reflected on how spots like the Cantina are as close as most Mexican fans in the US will get to the games. “I know some people who dream of attending a match, and now that the World Cup is here, these same people don’t want to go,” she said. “The tickets are really expensive, but with all that’s going on with the new administration and ICE, a lot of people live in fear of even wearing the jersey of their national team. The vibe is different from previous World Cups.”
I dug into an amazing torta de milanesa de res, a staple of Mexican cuisine, as the game got underway. A sea of green jerseys sang along with the Mexican national anthem and cheered, oohed, and aahd throughout the game
A Thrilling Start for Mexico
Star forward Julian Quiñones kicked the opening goal, putting the crowd on their feet, leaving the Cantina buzzing at halftime. Red cards on two South Africans worked massively in Mexico’s favor. Fan favorite Raul Jimenez, who overcame a life-threatening skull fracture in 2020, scored his first ever World Cup goal, sending the crowd in a frenzy. With Mexico’s 2-0 victory yesterday, the team put behind the disappointment of the last World Cup, a great start we’d all been dreaming about.
Being a Mexican-American myself, I normally watch Mexico’s games at home with my family. But even being 15 miles away, I felt right at home.
Cantina 914 is in the Yonkers art district at 525 Nepperhan Ave.
