World Cup Fans Get Taste Of American Life At The Mall

East Ruthorford, USA : Waving flags and dancing to soaring Latin music, Ecuadorian football fans were experiencing the excitement of the World Cup. “Let’s get this party started!” an announcer explained.

But instead of the streets or a stadium, the crowd was rocking one of America’s largest shopping malls; It’s an unusual setting for fan events outside the MetLife arena in New Jersey.

With nowhere else to gather after trekking to the stadium from New York, fans at the American Dream mall find themselves partying among luxury shops and attractions like a water park, laser tag and roller coasters.

“It’s surprising,” said Samir Rodriguez, 29, from Quito, “but it’s very American.”

“We don’t do football that way in Latin America. You go straight to the stadium or to the streets,” he added, standing next to a display case of watches that cost up to $1,495.

Rodriguez embraced the culture while sipping on a free can of Coca-Cola, one of about a dozen cans he had saved to share with his family who attended the game.

The beverage brand also organized a shooting tournament that brought fans together as they competed to score goals into three holes drilled above the goal. Prize: Red Coca-Cola themed scarf or baseball cap.

One of the winners was the wife of Eduardo Alban, who was applauded by the audience before the Ecuador-Germany match this week.

“It’s pretty exciting to be with all the fans,” said Alban, a 50-year-old business manager from Quito who wears a yellow Ecuador jersey.

– Burgers and mini golf –

The American Dream spans three million square feet (280,000 square meters), dwarfing MetLife, a 15-minute walk away.

Due to its proximity to the stadium, the mall aims to attract fans with World Cup events such as viewing parties and live music.

In one area, a group of Ecuadorian fans played mini golf by hitting colorful balls on a small course based on the Angry Birds video game.

Others lined up to pay $10 to mall workers wearing “Face Painter” vests before posing for selfies with their cheeks bearing their national team’s colors.

As the pop music of Calvin Harris and Sean Kingston played over the speakers, many people gathered in the food courts to grab traditional American snacks like pizza and burgers.

– ‘Everything is bigger’ –

Some fans appeared confused by the layout of the mega-mall, as several staff members asked for directions to MetLife stadium.

“This is more of a theme park than a shopping mall,” said Germany supporter Michael Karg, 48, as he examined an A-Z list of restaurants in the digital guide.

“I probably wouldn’t have come if the shuttle bus hadn’t dropped us here, but otherwise it’s very nice,” the officer, wearing his country’s white jersey, added.

German fans mostly gathered in an area with benches in front of a large screen that usually serves as an ice rink but has been converted into an indoor beer garden.

For Stuttgart’s Jens Jenuwein, the mall was another American adventure after he traveled there on the same yellow school bus that public transport officials use to ferry fans from New York.

“We did not expect to come to the shopping centre. This is very different from the experience of European football,” the 48-year-old lawyer said.

“Everything is bigger in the US. And you don’t have the combination of a football stadium and a mall. We just go to a bar and drink some beer.”