England supporters see World Cup dream end at Shawnee brewery watch party
For weeks, Friction Beer Co. has felt like a little piece of England.
The Shawnee brewery was once again filled with supporters of the Three Lions on Wednesday for the semifinal match against Argentina.
Cheers erupted when England got on the board, but those cheers turned to heartbreak by the end of the match, as Argentina scored two goals in a seven-minute span.
The loss ended England's World Cup run and snapped the hopes of fans who had watched their team train in Kansas City throughout the tournament.
Friction Beer Co. became the home base for the Kansas City England Supporters Club during the World Cup.
The brewery said England match days had become its busiest days ever.
For Andy Glennon, who moved from England to Missouri seven years ago, watching a match like this alongside fellow supporters made the experience special.
"We've all got the same memories of the World Cup, we've all got the same heartbreak, the same joy. We've all got shared experiences, and it's really nice to have that shared experience," Glennon said before the match ended.
Jes Steinberg, manager of Friction Beer Co., is sad the experience is ending.
"You know, it's kind of sad because the other day, I said to a guy, 'we'll see you next match,' and he said, 'I'm going home.' He's going back to England. It's been really cool to see the influx of who's been visiting and the group itself."
Argentina advances to face Spain in Sunday's World Cup championship match.
England takes on France in the third-place match on Saturday.
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