Willoughby bar hosts friendly rivalry for World Cup game

Published: Friday, June 18, 2010

By Tracey Read
TRead@News-Herald.com

Michael Allen Blair/MBlair@News-Herald.com Slovenian American's including Maja Kosir, 7, of Kirtland, front, and from left; Tim Percic, of Burton, John Jakomin and John Srsen of Willoughby celebrate Slovenia's second goal at The Player's at Lost Nation Sports Park in Willoughby. Slovenia and the Unites States battled to a 2-2 tie in Friday's World Cup action.

Blaze Rihtar just couldn’t lose.

The Willoughby Hills resident sported a United States shirt to root for the U.S. soccer team.

Underneath, Rihtar proudly wore a Slovenia T-shirt decorated with a USA pin.

“I was born in Slovenia and I moved here when I was 10,” said Rihtar. “Either way, my team wins.”

Her words while watching the first half of the FIFA World Cup Friday morning would later prove prophetic: Slovenia tied the U.S. team 2-2.

Rihtar was one of a small crowd of Slovenians who gathered outside The Players at Lost Nation Sports Park in Willoughby to root for both Slovenia and the United States.

The enthusiastic group relaxed with friends and family while eating favorite Eastern European fare such as cevape (little pieces of barbequed pork). Children kicked soccer balls outdoors or rested their heads on them while transfixed to the TV set.

A larger crowd of mainly U.S. supporters gathered at the sports lounge inside, which opened early just for the World Cup (one of the park’s owners is of Slovenian descent).

Euclid resident Richie Celestina was at the bar with several friends and fellow members of a singing choir called Mi smo mi (translation: “We are who we are”).

Celestina took the day off from his church groundskeeping job to watch the game even though he doesn’t even play soccer.

“This is a pretty big deal. I don’t think Slovenia has been in the World Cup much,” said Celestina, whose grandparents were born in the tiny country of 2 million.

Burton Township resident Tim Percic, who publishes the Slovenian American Times newspaper, was at the party with his wife, Marilyn, and their three children, Apollo, 5, Kalea, 7, and Roman, 2.

Percic, whose parents both came from Slovenia, said he was having a tough time deciding who he wanted to win.

“That’s a tough call,” he said. “I came into this wanting Slovenia to win because it’s only been their second appearance in the World Cup. In terms of a global scale, it’s a small country. But they’re kind of rising in perception. We were laughing earlier at what David Letterman said about how nobody knows anything about Slovenia, yet they’re in the World Cup.”

Percic’s two oldest children play soccer, and his 2-year-old is already a huge fan.

“Roman corrects me every chance he gets that it’s not soccer — it’s World Cup soccer,” Percic said with a laugh.

Players Club manager/bartender Byron Vilar said he was happy to open the bar early for the Slovenians, but his loyalties were with the favored team.

“I’m a soccer fan,” he said. “And I’m rooting for the U.S.”

SOURCE:http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2010/06/18/news/doc4c1bb52399d49904799423.txt

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Willoughby bar hosts friendly rivalry for World Cup game

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