Approximately 400 Albuquerque community members gathered at Montgomery Park on Friday evening to watch the United States and Paraguayan men’s national soccer teams battle in their World Cup opener in Los Angeles.
The game was projected on a large viewing screen with a quality sound system, and the park offered space for pick-up games and soccer activities during commercial breaks.
The event was the second of multiple watch parties that are scheduled at local parks throughout the month of June, which are a collaboration between the City of Albuquerque and New Mexico United, according to a press release.
“The City of Albuquerque and New Mexico United are teaming up to bring the excitement of one of the world’s biggest sporting events directly to local neighborhoods with Summer of Soccer, a series of free community watch parties celebrating the FIFA World Cup,” the press release reads.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller’s Deputy Director of Public Affairs Zoe Otero Martinez said the watch parties will feature an NM United presence, family-friendly activities, food trucks and “little surprises,” citing how the Albuquerque Fire Department, an ambulance and police officers showed up that evening to interact with the children.
“There's a lot of soccer fans at City Hall and they knew that soccer was a way to bring people together,” Otero Martinez said. “Even if you're not somebody who enjoys the sport, it's something that can bring people into these public, shared, really beautiful, vibrant spaces.
Melissa Judson, who attended the watch party, said that she plays soccer for fun at the International Indoor Soccer Arena in Albuquerque, and that she thought the event was better than watching the game at home or at a sports bar.
Judson said she is not rooting for any team in particular in this year’s World Cup, and was just there to have a “nice Friday night out.”
“My country is Peru, and they never make it to the World Cup, so I don't really care,”
Judson said. “I prefer the women's World Cup. Women's is much better to watch.”
Attendees passed soccer balls around, played pick-up matches, formed juggling circles and cheered on the U.S, who ultimately defeated Paraguay 4-1.
The next watch party will be at Phil Chacón Park, where the match between Mexico and South Korea will be broadcast at 7 p.m. on June 18, followed by U.S. vs Australia at Mariposa Basin park at 1 p.m. on June 19. On June 24 and 25, Civic Plaza will be hosting watch parties for Mexico vs Czechia at 7 p.m and U.S. vs Turkey at 8 p.m..
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“It's great to see the soccer community in Albuquerque have something like this, because I think Albuquerque has been a really strong soccer community,” Otero Martinez said.
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on X @paloma_chapa88
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @paloma_chapa88
