ニューヨークのスポーツバーでワールドカップを観戦。
試合は日本対スペイン。日本人とスペイン人が同じ場に集まり、ビールを飲みながら自国を応援していた。敵同士緊張した空気感かと思いきや、全員で大声を出しながら盛り上がり、ゴールが決まれば喜び、敵味方関係なくゲームを楽しみ、試合終盤には会場に一体感が生まれていた。世界中から人が集まるニューヨークだからこそできた体験だろう。スポーツは世界を繋ぐことができる実感した。
Watching the World Cup at a sports bar in New York. The game was between Japan and Spain. Japanese and Spaniards gathered in the same place, drinking beer and cheering for their country. I thought the atmosphere would be tense between the two enemies, but everyone was shouting and getting excited, rejoicing when a goal was scored, enjoying the game regardless of friend or foe, and by the end of the game, a sense of unity had been created in the venue. It was an experience that was possible only in New York, where people from all over the world gather. I realized that sports can connect the world.
Sora Maeda