‘It’s like being close to home’: World Cup vibes immaculate in richly diverse New York

Ecuador fans watch their team against Germany at a bar in Hudson Yards in Manhattan. Photograph: Leonardo Muñoz/AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Ecuador fans watch their team against Germany at a bar in Hudson Yards in Manhattan. Photograph: Leonardo Muñoz/AFP/Getty Images ‘It’s like being close to home’: World Cup vibes immaculate in richly diverse New York Fans of all stripes pack the bars to sing, cheer and commiserate in city where more than 3m people were born outside US A lmost 200,000 Ecuadorians and Ecuadorian Americans live in New York City, and last week quite a lot of them were in a Brooklyn restaurant called El Encebollado de Victor to watch their football team take on Germany – a traditional World Cup powerhouse. It made for quite a sight: a sea of yellow shirts under the restaurant’s blue roof, which had been adorned with red, blue and yellow balloons for the occasion. Among the most patriotically dressed was Luis Aguilar, 45, who was born in the US to parents who had emigrated from Ecuador. Aguilar was wearing an Ecuador jersey, an Ecuador scarf, and a straw hat with the Ecuador colors and Ecuador written on the front. He had an Ecuador flag tied around his neck, and was with a dog called Jax who was also wearing a flag. As the match, held in New Jersey, began, it was clear there was a good turnout of Ecuadorians in the stadium too: yellow shirts were everywhere, and the country’s national anthem, ¡Salve, Oh Patria! was belted out in the stadium and in the restaurant. “It’s very fascinating. I have not seen this many Ecuadorians in one place [the stadium] probably ever,” Aguilar said. “To see all the yellow jerseys – it’s incredibly heart-warming and mesmerizing.” New York City is home to more than 3 million people who were born outside the US , from more than 150 countries. It’s a mix that makes for rich culture and an array of food and experiences and, during the World Cup, patriotic hubs forming around bars, restaurants and cafes, as New Yorkers seek a taste of home. View image in fullscreen Ecuador fans celebrate. Photograph: Leonardo Muñoz/AFP/Getty Images As the anthems were sung at El Encebollado de Victor, Karen Lasluisa, 12, was glued to a TV screen. She’s a big football fan – she plays in defence, and sometimes in goal – and was there with her two sisters and her mother, Elvia Tubon. Karen had a prediction for the game. “I think she will cry if Ecuador loses,” Karen said, pointing at her mum. It certainly didn’t start well. Germany scored after two minutes; Ecuador had to win to stay in the tournament. Luckily, they struck back and the game was 1-1 at half-time – when Daniel Gutierrez, 30, was confident they would win. Born in Quito, Gutierrez has lived in the US for four years, and has watched other games at the restaurant: “It’s kind of like being close to home,” he said. He was embracing that, eating encebollado – a fish stew made with yuca, onions and cilantro. Away from football, Ecuadorians are experiencing