Watching Soccer in
Chicago
If you're new to
Chicago you might expect that finding a football match to watch
would be difficult. There was a time where watching football
in Chicago was a challenge but all that has changed. With the
growth of FOX Soccer Channel over the last decade and the recent
additions of Sentanta Sports and Gol TV to satellite services.
Used to be that the only people on the street at 9 am on a Sunday
morning in January were hardcore football fans heading to their
local. In fact so many matches are now available at home, the
football pub scene has been slightly diminished. Whether
you're an ex-pat looking for his favorite club or in Chicago on
holiday we'll help you find the spot to watch the match.
Watching UEFA
Champions League in Chicago
You will find
great places to watch Euro 2008 all over Chicago. Many
visitors will be surprised to find that every match of Euro 2008
will be televised. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Classic will all carry
matches. Most Euro 2008 matches will be a 11AM and 1:45 PM
local Chicago times. If you love your football this is a great
time to be in Chicago. Most bars and pubs will have natives
from every country watching their team in the European Championship.
Watching the
English Premier League in Chicago
If you are looking
to watch English football in Chicago you are in luck. You
probably can't watch "the Prem" in your hotel room but walk into
just about any Irish pub at the right time and matches will be on.
You won't be able to watch every English football match but you'll
get your fair share. If you're a fan of Manchester United,
Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool you can just about guarantee your club
will be on. If you look hard enough you can even watch matches
from the Championship. Usually one of the Sunday matches will
only be available to football pubs via satellite so expect to pay a
small cover charge to enter (this offsets the pub's outlay for the
feed).
Watching Italian
Soccer (Serie A) in Chicago
To watch Serie A
in Chicago used to be a difficult proposition. All the big
clubs, Inter Milan, Juventus, Fiorentina, Roma can now be found on
American television. FOX Soccer Channel which is the primary
English soccer channel now shows Serie A matches in the afternoon on
tape delay. The more dedicated Soccer Pubs will leave these
matches on all day. Be careful though and phone ahead as on
weekends most pubs will switch over to the big American sports.
Watching Spanish
Soccer (La Liga) in Chicago
You can watch La
Liga in Chicago. Spanish soccer has grown tremendously here
with the likes of Ronaldinho with Barcelona and of course Real
Madrid. Gol TV now carries an increased slate of La Liga
matches. There aren't too many Spanish bars in Chicago so it
is a little tricky
Watching Argentine
Soccer in Chicago
FSC airs the
Clasico del Domingo, the Sunday showdown between Argentina's top
teams. The competition is fierce, the fans are devoted and the play
is exciting especially as the dominance of Boca Juniors and River
Plate is under threat. Outside the regular seasons FSC features the
Summer Tournament in January.
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