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Scheduling a second date proved tricky, as they were caught between her kids’ schedules and his “obsessive soccer-watching” itinerary, but Fede eventually came over to Isla’s apartment “to test our chemistry… off the field, so to speak”. She laughs. “I’ll be cheesy and say that Messi wasn’t the only one who scored that evening.”
But World Cup chemistry isn’t confined to some park.
Alberto Bitar, co-owner of Mission Ceviche in Union Square, says he’s spotted more flirtatious connections than he can count, but one stands out. “There was a group of Colombian women watching a match next to a group of American guys. It started with playful trash talk over a big play. Then they were doing pisco shots together. Then they were cheering for each other’s teams. By the end of the match, they’d pushed their tables together, and nobody wanted the night to end.” The whole group eventually migrated downstairs to Sub-Mission, the restaurant’s lounge. “I always protect our clients’ privacy,” Bitar says, “but there was some passionate kissing happening with at least two newly paired couples.”
Still, we can’t credit everything to the game. “It’s been buzzing for weeks,” says comedian Bryan Safi, who transplanted himself from Los Angeles (to star in his one man show, “Are You Mad at Me??”) just in time for the revelry. “We went straight from the Knicks run to Pride to the World Cup, so there’s been a constant high. I’ve gotten completely swept up in it. One thing straight soccer fans and queer people have in common: they’re both incredibly proud of their flags. New York has never flown more flags. We are flagged up.”
There is, however, one small complication. “Nobody you meet on the apps can host,” Safi notes. “Everyone’s here sharing a hotel, a YOTEL, or a Pod with four friends. Much like the city itself, hooking up has become unaffordable.”
