San Francisco’s Recreation and Parks Department has to be celebrating this one – their gamble to put up a jumbo screen for the World Cup outside City Hall turned out to be one fabulous win for the city.  World Cup Soccer Live is a hit.  Throughout the whole event, the crowds have been huge and for the final game they put up two screens – as at least 15,000 people turned out in bright colors with painted faces, waving banners and flags and laying claim to a spot on the grass hours ahead of time.

The weather was glorious, the crowd was in high spirits, and the final moments were high emotion.  When Spain won, it was a stampede of cheer that had to be caught on tape to fully appreciate.  Luckily I got into the thick of it without being trampled – but it was close!