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| Getty Images | cnn.com |
| Two of the game's best: Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Man U's Cristiano Ronaldo |
UEFA Champions League Final. Manchester United FC vs. FC Barcelona. Today. 2:45 p.m.
If any of the above is alien to you, consider this: A visit to the right bar today will mean an immersion into excitement, expectation and awe � taps will flow, songs will be sung, bitter enemies will draw together. The only thing like it, of course, is any given day of the all-too-brief World Cup tournament. So shed insularity and come along for the biggest match in European soccer � though, of course, many of the people you�ll meet today will be born and raised stateside.
Pitting the best teams from every major European soccer league against each other, the Champions League runs from August until today � imagine if the Phillies had to play a home series against the Mets before flying out for a three-game affair in Japan with the Saitama Seibu Lions. This is just what these soccer teams face as they battle through group stages and past elimination on their way to claiming domination of Europe.
The winners of the English Premier League and La Liga (Spain�s top league) will meet in Rome this afternoon, with both squads helmed by luminaries of the game. Manchester United looks to become the first team of the Champions League era (started in '92) to repeat as champions against a gifted Barcelona squad. Though The Red Devils (Man U) look to stifle first � their defense has been incredibly stingy all year � and punish on the counter, fans new and old should expect to see brilliance up and down the field. Don't worry if you�re at a loss for nuances or names � after a few pints, you'll certainly find enough new friends to elucidate things for you.
Meal Ticket's rundown of where to watch the game (arriving early is a MUST) after the jump.
Fado Irish Pub | 15th and Locust streets, 215-893-9700
The soccer pub in Center City. Expect crazed supporters from both sides and hence, a sea of red (MUFC) and red/blue (Barca�s two-color shirt). Get ready to cheer and chant. Multiple large flat screen TVs. $4 Heinekens.
Dark Horse Pub� | 21 S. Second St. 215-928-9307
Headhouse Square�s contender for best soccer pub in the city boasts three distinct rooms that are often jam-packed with devout supporters on the weekends well before most of us have turned off the alarm and given up on running. Multiple big-screen TVs and flat screens.
Tir Na Nog | 1600 Arch St. # 103, 267-514-1700
Corporate as hell for lunch the week through, she lets her hair down for top matches. Down comes the projection screen and up goes the sound. TVs around the bar, as well.
The 700 Club | 700 N. Second St, 215- 413-3181
Celebrate ecstacy with a Mackeson�s XXX English Stout. If agony is the rule of the day, then bend your head further with a Delirium Tremens. Either way, this usually laidback setting, which lends itself to a quiet study of the game � wraparound windows on lazy mornings/afternoons with diehard regulars � will offer one of the best beers selections around for the raucous event. One giant flat screen; happy hour prices during the match.��
New Deck Tavern | 3408 Sansom St., 215-386-4600
An enthused crowd is a guarantee as you�ll be watching and drinking with grad students and overworked scientists from around the world. Heineken Lite and Heineken bottles/drafts and Amstel drafts: $3.50. Multiple flat screens.
O�Neals | 611 S. Third St., 215-574-9495
Immerse yourself in one of the finest beer menus around while enjoying the subtleties of the Beautiful Game. $3.50 LandSharks. Multiple TVs.
The Blarney South | 323 South St., 215-413-8294
A cool spot to down a few pints before or after a show at the TLA, The Blarney draws a good crowd for footy, as well. And that has nothing to do with the fetish boutique around the corner. Multiple TVs.
Memphis Taproom | 2331 E. Cumberland St., 215-425-4460
Ease up to the bar and pair world-class soccer with well-crafted food and a plethora of also-world-class beers at this emerging landmark. One sizable flat screen.
National Mechanics will have it on the big screen too
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