Catching el clasico soccer game in DC?

November 24, 2009 10:50 AM

Where in Washington DC will I be able to watch el clasico (Barcelona v Real Madrid) this Sunday afternoon at 1pm?

I don't have cable so I want to get out to a good bar or cafe to watch the soccer game. Can any locals recommend somewhere? Anywhere metro-accessible I suppose, but the more central or NW the better. The Washington Redskins and a ton of other American football teams are playing at exactly the same time so I don't think I'll have much luck seeing it at the traditional sports bars.

As a cheeky bonus question (sorry!), are there any useful DC-centric general forums? I'm looking for an online space where I'll be able to ask these kinds of local questions and others. The forums I've found seem to lean quite heavily towards discussing politics on the hill (understably so).

posted by uk_giffo to sports, hobbies, & recreation (11 comments total)

90 Minute Cafe?

Never been, looks like a dive, but I pass it all the time and that's their theme and demographic.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 10:56 AM on November 24, 2009

I'll be looking as well.

I'm pretty sure Lucky Bar on Connecticut Avenue, or maybe Fado in Chinatown will be playing it.
posted by OuttaHere at 11:07 AM on November 24, 2009

Summers in Arlington (near Courthouse metro station) should be playing it.
posted by arco at 11:07 AM on November 24, 2009

Fado in DC will be showing that match.
posted by Zambrano at 11:10 AM on November 24, 2009

DCist isn't exactly a forum, but the comments are pretty active.

You can also try your luck with the WashPo Going out Gurus chats, although they certainly don't get to every question.
posted by JoanArkham at 11:14 AM on November 24, 2009

Cool, thanks guys. I guess what I'm really hoping for is to find some amazing secret bar where any ex-pat Spaniards might choose to watch it. Fado's always was kind of a back-up option but in my experience they seem to be quite keen on doling out $20 cover charges for big games.

Inspector.Gadget: I pass that 90 Minute Cafe all the time too. It looked promising but I asked a friend about it last week and apparently it's been closed for over a year!
posted by uk_giffo at 11:29 AM on November 24, 2009

This is the kind of question that gets asked a lot over at Prince of Petworth. He posts a lot of reader questions like this, you could try emailing him and seeing if he will.
posted by General Malaise at 11:43 AM on November 24, 2009

Not a local, but the forums over at bigsoccer.com are always good resource for soccer-friendly bars, and a place called "The Lucky Bar" looks like they are showing the game.
posted by Otis at 11:59 AM on November 24, 2009

Some good answers already (Fado, Lucky Bar, Summers are all good soccer bars), but another good place to ask this type of question (as I notice now that JoanArkham recommended) is the Got Plans Q/A session every Thursday on WashingtonPost.com. Uh, except this Thursday, because of Thanksgiving. Sorry. But this is definitely the type of slightly off-beat question they'd normally squeeze in.

As for Fado's charging $20 for big games, that's typically because they're forced to by the satellite company that's carrying it. No joke. It's a bullshit system, but it is what it is. Based on what I hear from my friends, being a rugby fan is even tougher; they've gotta charge $20 even for the shitty matches.
posted by inigo2 at 6:29 PM on November 24, 2009

And on a quick run through Comcast's listings, it's not on any of the usual suspects, so I'd guess it's a satellite-only game. AKA $20 wherever you end up, probably. Shitty. (And if that's not the case, that's surprising but sweeeeet.)
posted by inigo2 at 6:35 PM on November 24, 2009

The Irish Channel in Chinatown might have the game. I like it as a bar and sports watching venue more than Fado.
posted by MS_gal at 8:08 PM on November 26, 2009