Want to see US-Bosnia World Cup live? North Jersey bars, watch parties

Soccer — football, to you non-Americans — is a team sport.

You could sit on your sofa, alone, and see Wednesday’s much anticipated U.S. vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina World Cup match on your living room TV. But what fun is that?

What you’re looking for is a watch party.

“It’s been insane here,” said Mickey Gastelu, owner of Mickey’s Bar & Grill in Lyndhurst. That’s just one of scads of places in North Jersey where fans have been congregating this month, as World Cup fever sweeps America. They’ll be out in force, once again, at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, to cheer on their teams. Go USA! Go Bosnia!

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“I don’t usually get a soccer crowd, but this is 100 percent different,” said Giorgio Biancamano, owner of Blue 42 restaurant and bar in Elmwood Park.

The prime viewing spot for Wednesday’s game is, of course, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, just south of San Francisco.

But given that admission is roughly $1,500 to $4000 — not counting airfare — and your chances for scoring a ticket are slim to none, it might be just as well to have a contingency plan.

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The mother of watch parties, in New Jersey, is probably the one at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, home to the Red Bulls, which will broadcast the game on a 60-foot screen, and offer live entertainment and interactive fan activities to boot. Admission is free, but reservations need to be made in advance.

“This is a truly unique opportunity for fans to experience the FIFA World Cup, for free, from inside an actual soccer stadium,” said Andrew Vazzano, director of communications at Red Bull New York.

“We’re excited to see that momentum continue as fans come together to celebrate the beautiful game and experience the World Cup as a community,” he said.

Can’t make it there? You’re in luck. Walk into any bar in North Jersey. Chances are, World Cup will be on the TV — as it has been for the past month.

“We have 52 TVs,” Gastelu said. “It’s like walking into a Best Buy and drinking and having burgers.”

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Many sports bars, and just plain bar bars, have special amenities during this FIFA summer. Mickey has a party room: for a flat $39 fee, he said, a group of up to 50 can watch the game in privacy, and be fed in the bargain. “This is pretty much the best VIP room on offer in Bergen County,” he said.

At Blue 42 there is a DJ who will spin at halftime, and during commercials. There are also $1 wings from 7 to midnight.

And at Calandra’s Italian Village in Caldwell, fans can poke their heads into the adjacent bakery and deli when they’re not cheering their teams. “People can walk around, get baked goods,” said Susan Campbell, one of the managers.

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All these places are used to sports fans. All of them know what it’s like to have a bar erupt in a riot of cheering, back-slapping, and shot-downing when someone scores a goal.

But the World Cup, they say, is different.

It’s all the new faces. International faces.

“There are a lot of people from other countries who have never been here before,” Campbell said. “We have a lot of new customers. I’ve had people from Turkey, a lot of people from Ecuador, some people from Spain. No Australians though. I went around looking for an Australian, because my brother-in-law is an Australian. But I couldn’t find any.”

There are almost as many places to watch the World Cup, Wednesday, as there are fans to watch it. Here are just a few suggestions in our area.

∎ Sports Illustrated Stadium (formerly Red Bull Arena), 600 Cape May Street, Harrison. Reservations required. sportsillustratedstadium.com/fan-hub

∎ 46 Lounge, 300 US Highway 46 East, Totowa. 46lounge.com

∎ Blarney Station, 258 Park Avenue, East Rutherford. blarneystation.com

∎ Blue 42, 158 Market St, Elmwood Park. www.blue42bar.com

∎ Mickey’s Bar & Grill, 601 Riverside Ave, Lyndhurst. mickeysnj.com

∎ Calandra’s Italian Village, 234 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell. Reservations suggested. calandrasitalianvillage.com

∎ Irish Pub 178, 178 Cedar Lane, Teaneck. pub178.com

∎ Midland Brew House, 374 N. Midland Avenue, Saddle Brook. www.midlandbrewhouse.com