While the world readies for the final match of the FIFA World Cup, Boston gets ready to watch it. The French and Italians will match up on Sunday afternoon – and everyone has an opinion on where the best place to watch the game will be. Mayor Menino has sanctioned a World Cup Party of sorts on City Hall Plaza this Sunday. A big screen broadcast of the match will have capacity to hold up to 50,000 people on the cement and brick wasteland. North End merchants are also gearing up for the big match up over the weekend. Up and down Hanover cafés have added additional TV's and replaced tables broken in the run up to the championship as Italy's team has progressed.
Today's reports of the City Hall Plaza screening of the game presented two different stories. The Globe showcased the Mayor's effort as relief for the North End soon to be overrun with World Cup fanatics and those who feel a little more Italian for the day. The Herald fired off a sharp criticism of the Mayor voicing the opinions of North End merchants that Menino was stealing the big party away from Hanover Street and plopping it down only meters away from the North End. The City Hall Plaza viewing of the Cup Final will include facepainting, meet and greets with New England Revolution players and coaches, the Patriots cheerleaders and Pat Patriot will also be on hand (perhaps they've forgotten that when they say Football in Europe it's like saying Soccer).
However the celebrations play out – on Hanover or City Hall Plaza – if Italy wins we're sure impromptu parades like the one here in today's video (shot on Tuesday) will be a bit grander.
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