Soccer fans can plan to watch and celebrate the Women’s World Cup at several bars in Arlington.
The World Cup kicked off today (Thursday) in Australia and New Zealand and the tournament will run until the final game airs on Sunday, Aug. 20 at 6 a.m.
World Cup
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(Updated at 10:00 a.m.) Offices around the county came to a standstill at 4:00 p.m. yesterday to watch the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team play and lose to Belgium, 2-1 in extra time.
Watchers packed bars, gathered around TVs in their offices and came together in hordes in public places and watched U.S. goalie Tim Howard save a World Cup record 16 shots on goal, smashing the previous record of 13. Legions of new American soccer fans watched as 20-year-old DeAndre Yedlin injected speed and energy into a U.S. team that seemed like it had none. Everyone decked out in red, white and blue cheered as 19-year-old Julian Green scored a magnificent goal to give the Americans some hope in his first career minute on the field in the World Cup.
It’s Friday. That means everybody is leaving work early to get ready for a weekend of beach/barbecue/cheering on Team USA/etc.
So in fairness to Group D of our Arlington’s Cutest Dog contest, we’re getting voting started early.
Summers Doing Big Business During World Cup — Summers Restaurant in Courthouse was so crowded during yesterday’s World Cup match between the U.S. and Algeria that the fire marshal showed up, according to NBC Washington. The 300-capacity venue was deemed 25 people over-capacity.
Zimmerman Urges State to Reconsider Metro Defunding Threat — “The state should not break the promise made to its residents and regional partners,” WMATA and Arlington County board member Chris Zimmerman wrote in an op-ed on the Washington Post’s website. Zimmerman and fellow Northern Virginia WMATA board member Catherine Hudgins say that if the state withdraws $50 million in funding, as it has threatened to do if it doesn’t get two seats on the Metro board, then a cooperative $300 million per year infrastructure improvement plan “will fall apart.”
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After Team USA’s heart-stopping stoppage-time win, you may not think you have any energy left to become emotionally-invested in another thrilling competition. But with faces like these, how can you resist?
Vote for the pooch you think should advance to the final round of our Arlington’s Cutest Dog contest (you can vote for up to three), after the jump.
At Piola in Rosslyn, a sizable crowd jumped to their feet when Landon Donovan knocked in the game’s only point following a rebound off Algeria’s goalkeeper. Fans watching the game at Summers Restaurant in Courthouse, who had been bracing for a tie that would have sent the U.S. back home, celebrated wildly.
Along Wilson Boulevard, two cars passed by with horns honking and with passengers holding American flags out windows.
Get your vuvuzelas out, it’s finally here. The first round of our Arlington’s Cutest Dog contest has begun.
Below you’ll find our first 12 contestants (out of 48). Take a look at the photos below, then make the jump to cast your votes (you can vote for up to three). The top vote-getter will advance to the final round, and the second place finisher will have a chance for an at-large bid.
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Last week we asked you to submit entries for our inaugural Arlington’s Cutest Dog contest. Thanks to a tremendous response, we’re happy to announce that we’ve picked up another great sponsor. And both of our sponsors have pitched in additional prizes for the winners.
Wylie Wagg, Clarendon’s new hometown pet store, will now supply a $100 gift certificate as our second prize, a $50 gift certificate for third prize, and soccer ball fetch toys for all three top finishers, in honor of the World Cup. Plus, Wagg will be holding a patio party for all contestants at the end of the contest (well-wishers will also be welcome to attend).
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But whereas people have beauty pageants, what do local dogs have? Bupkis.
That’s why we’re teaming up with Wylie Wagg (2509 N. Franklin Rd.), Clarendon’s new hometown pet store, to bring you the Arlington’s Cutest Dog Contest. And in honor of the World Cup, we figured we’d do it tournament-style.
Happy Flag Day — Today is Flag Day. The holiday commemorates the adoption of the United States flag by the Second Continental Congress in 1777. June 14th also happens to be the birthday of the U.S. Army. Today the Army turns the ripe old age of 235.
Post Writes Up EFC Development Battle — The Washington Post is running a story this morning about the increasingly ugly battle between the East Falls Church Planning Task Force and vocal anti-development residents. The task force and their pro-development allies say that development is inevitable given that East Falls Church will be the transfer station to the new Silver Line. Anti-development forces say they don’t want a nine-story “high-rise” among their “bucolic” bastion of single-family homes. The County Board will discuss the task force’s development plan on Tuesday.
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Lessons we learned while gathering information about local bars and their World Cup specials:
Soccer is a game meant to be watched with a large group of loud and inebriated fans, so go ahead, summon your old middle school soccer ambitions and yell out those rare soccer-related phrases you remember from the matches (“CORNER KICK!” and “STRIKER!”).