Analysis, Soccer, watch party, World Cup

Does a Country’s World Cup Performance Depend on its Size?

The 2018 FIFA World Cup came to a close Sunday when France secured a 4-2 victory at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium with a strike from outside the penalty box by the Golden Boy Award winner Kylian Mbappé. Les Bleus had impressed en route to the final, with two-thirds of their matches finishing as shutouts. But perhaps more impressive is who made it to that final match as their opponent, a country which only recently gained their independence in 1991 and whose population is only 4.29 million.

Croatia, that young country, needed to overcome soccer powerhouses such as Argentina and England to secure their place in the final. They beat Russia—a nation of over 142 million—in penalties in the quarterfinals, and persevered over England, who boasts a population of around 53 million, in extra time in the semifinals. And although they ultimately came up short against France, Croatia had played a full 90 minutes more than their opponent coming into the final due to three extra time games, and their entire country’s population was merely one-fifteenth of France’s.

Analysis, Events, Soccer, watch party, World Cup

Insight into 2018 World Cup Public Watch Parties

Public viewing parties have become increasingly prevalent in professional sports in recent years. Specifically, for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, television broadcasts often cut to public viewing parties when teams score goals. These large public viewing parties are usually for big soccer events. However, very seldom do we see public viewing parties for popular American sports like basketball, football, baseball or hockey. Instead in the US, we have watch parties at bars or restaurants. FanWide can help you find local watch parties for your favorite teams. Check out this previous post for A Definitive History of World Cup Game Watch Parties.

Analysis, Events, Soccer

Home Field Advantage for Countries Hosting the World Cup

This year’s FIFA World Cup has gotten off to a super exciting start. From Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat trick against Spain, to Iceland’s shocking draw against Lionel Messi and Argentina, to Mexico’s stunning victory over the defending champion Germany, there has been no shortage of instant classic games. One of the most notable results from this first slate of games is that Russia, the host country for this year’s iteration of the event, blitzed Saudi Arabia in a 5-0 win to open the tournament and followed it up with a convincing 3-1 win against Egypt. Could home field advantage have played big a role in this result and if so, could it mean bigger things are to come for this Russian side?

Analysis, Soccer, watch party, World Cup

The US Missed Their Chance… Who to Root for in the 2018 World Cup?

Although it seems like soccer is at an all-time high in terms of popularity in the United States, the fandom couldn’t help the US Men’s National Team in the World Cup Qualifiers this year. The USMNT finished 5th out of 6 teams in the Hexagonal round of the CONCACAF 2018 World Cup Qualifiers, a finish that failed to qualify them for the 2018 World Cup. However difficult it may be to stomach, 32 other national teams will travel to Russia. But, who’s jersey should you wear as you watch for hours on end? What colors should you paint your face? Which team do you think will hoist the 2018 FIFA World Cup Trophy in Moscow?

Analysis, Soccer, UEFA, watch party

Enjoying the End of the European Soccer Season

There are about two weeks left in the European Soccer Season. Still left to play are the final match weeks in La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1, while the English Premier League and Bundesliga wrapped up league play this past weekend. However, the domestic cups, the FA Cup Final and DFB-Pokal Final are this coming week. Then of course, the following weekend comes the pinnacle of European football. On Wednesday, May 16, the UEFA Europa League final between Olympique de Marseille and Atlético Madrid will play out in Lyon, France. Finally, on Saturday, May 26, the UEFA Champions League kicks off between attack-minded Liverpool FC and defending champions Real Madrid CF in Kiev, Ukraine. The best part of all this action is that FanWide will provide you fans with an optimal viewing experience to enjoy the end of the 2018 European soccer season.

Events, Soccer, watch party, World Cup

A Definitive History of World Cup Game Watch Parties (1994-2014)

Guest author post from SportsbyJB

Other than the Olympics, there is nothing quite like the World Cup, where the beautiful game of soccer is played at the highest level. It is the fans, though, that elevate the entire experience to a whole, different level, with their unmatched passion for the sport and of their respective national teams.

These same fans also partake in one of the best traditions of World Cup lore: parties. These parties are held in every sort of venue imaginable and are often over the top, with lots of shouting, and singing; endless eating and drinking; plenty of high-fiving, chest-bumping, and hugging; and even some crying.

That being said, here is a look back at the rich history of World Cup partying, starting in 1994.

Events, News, Soccer, UEFA, watch party

The Stage is Set for a Dramatic Finish to the 2018 UEFA Champions League

So far it has been quite a crazy year in the UEFA Champions League. The sound of 16 draws brought on tantalizing matchups between big-spenders, Paris Saint-German against defending champions Real Madrid. The Round of 16 included five seemingly dominant English Premier League teams. Manchester City cruised to a 5-2 victory in aggregate over Swiss side FC Basel. Liverpool’s magnificent front three thrashed Portuguese giants, FC Porto, 5-0 in aggregate. However, Tottenham Hotspur did fall short after their triumphant first leg, come from behind, draw against the Italian champions and last year’s runner-up, Juventus. These exciting games are best enjoyed when you are surrounded by dozens of other fans from your favorite team! If you are living in the United States, you can use FanWide to find the closest fan club or game watch party in any city.

All, Analysis, Baseball, Basketball, Events, Fan Data, Football, Hockey, Soccer, Sports Data, Sports Fan Data, watch party

250,000 FanWide Game Watch Parties – Part 3: Sports Bar Hosting Data

FanWide (https://www.FanWide.com) has promoted and collected data from over three hundred thousand events nationwide for its Sports Fan Club Data Platform.  An event is an organized meetup where a group of sports fans gets together out of their home to watch one of almost 15,000 televised games, commonly known as a “watch party”, and this blog lists the Top 100 most popular sports bars and restaurants nationwide.

FanWide helps bars and restaurants attract new customers and makes them a premier sports viewing location.  Learn more about how venues can join our network at https://www.fanwide.com/host/overview or contact Sales@FanWide.com.

Events, News, Soccer, watch party

Going International: 2018 FIFA World Cup

The 2018 FIFA World Cup is still over 7 months away, but the buzz surrounding the event is already taking over the sport news scene. It is well-known now that the US Men’s National Team failed to qualify for the World Cup. However, not everyone is a loser because of the USMNT loss. There are 32 other teams that DID make it to the World Cup that have fans scattered all over the globe.

All, Analysis, Baseball, Basketball, Events, Fan Data, Football, Hockey, Soccer, Sports Data, Sports Fan Data, watch party

250,000 FanWide Game Watch Parties – Part 2: Geographic Sports Fan Data

In just under thirteen months since its launch, FanWide (http://www.FanWide.com) has promoted and collected data from over a quarter of a million events nationwide.  An event is an organized meetup where a group of sports fans gets together out of their home to watch one of almost 15,000 televised games, commonly known as a “watch party”.