When Brazil and Serbia played for a spot in the round of 16 Wednesday, Coop de Ville, the Oak Bluffs dockside bar and seafood joint, was the place to be.

Coop De Ville is the unofficial headquarters for World Cup fever on the Island. The Oak Bluffs waterfront bar was a colorful scene Thursday during the opening match between Brazil and Croatia.

At 7:15 a.m. Sunday at the Rod and Gun Club in Edgartown, more than
100 people had their eyes set on a 20-inch TV screen in the corner of
the room. Brazil was playing Germany in the final game of the World Cup
in Yokohama, Japan. In the room, yellow, green and blue flags and soccer
jerseys to match made it clear this was not the place to cheer for
Germany.

To most Americans, soccer is considered a second or third-tier sport
that hardly deserves a mention on their nightly edition of Sports Center
on ESPN.

For one month every four years, much of the world speaks the same language: Soccer (or football in its non-American dialects).

For one month every four years, much of the world speaks the same language: Soccer (or football in its non-American dialects). It’s a language of footwork, free kicks, and yes, flops, and on Saturday, June 26, native speakers and new learners alike have gathered at Coop de Ville in Oak Bluffs to watch what Sam Dean-Lee of Hartford, Conn., deems “the biggest game in U.S.