The football was predictable. Nil-nil at half time, little drama. The politics were a different story, shock still reverberating from the Brexit vote among fans of all stripes at an ex-pat pub in New York on Saturday.
Many had voted against type. There was a fan from Wales who wanted to stay in the European Union and was embarrassed that a majority of his fellow Welshmen had voted to leave. There was a fan from Northern Ireland who voted to leave, unlike the majority of his neighbours at home. Even so, he was reeling.
Was it a case of “be careful what you wish for”?
He shrugged.
“It’s done now,” said Gavin Logan, 22 and a soccer coach in New York for a summer of work with local kids.
A proud loyalist from east Belfast, he mentioned that his sister and brother-in-law – she a Protestant, he a Catholic – had voted to remain.
“But I’m looking at the big picture,” he said. “I voted ‘out’ and I’m thinking about five or 10 years from now. This is going to free up money that we were paying to Brussels. And with regards to things like fishing and trade – we want to make our own agreements.”
Surely Northern Ireland is a net beneficiary of EU money, to the tune of tens of millions a year?
“Well, Northern Ireland, without a doubt, has benefited from the EU. And they funded the peace process, which is fantastic, but …”
Logan’s voice trailed away. As the Northern Ireland team sang God Save the Queen on the big screens dotted around Legends, a large soccer bar on West 33rd Street in midtown Manhattan, Logan puffed his chest out.
“It’s about change,” he said. “We can do this on our own without pumping money into Brussels … um, well, it’s not necessarily about money and I’m thinking about more than Northern Ireland. Seventeen million people chose to leave for a reason and I’m pleased with the result, though I was really surprised.”
With more than an hour played, Northern Ireland’s performance seemed equally equivocal. Then Wales scored – symbolically enough, if you voted Remain, via an own goal.
“It’ll take five to 10 years for us to get back on our feet,” Logan said, not specifying whether he was talking about the economy or his team.
Cheering in a bright red shirt while eating a full English breakfast under the flag of the Bluebirds, aka Cardiff City, data analyst David Fundalski, 30, was trying to take escapist comfort from a pint and the match.
“I supported staying in the EU,” said the Cardiff native, now a New York resident. “I mean, my grandad was Polish and came to Britain in world war two. I wouldn’t be from Wales now if they hadn’t let him into the country.
“Now I’m worried. If Trump gets in in America, I would want to go home. But now, well, we’ll have to see what Canada looks like.”
Cardiff voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, but Wales went for Brexit. Fundalski was at a loss.
“I don’t like the image that Britain is now projecting to the world,” he said. “It’s embarrassing. I like the cultural melting pot. But the older generation, they think we’re still fighting against Germany, it’s so old school.
“Instead of dealing with the issues they are just closing themselves in, it shows the state of politics, people were just desperate for something to happen.”
Nicola Rogers, 30 and from Penarth, near Cardiff, was on holiday in New York with her husband Mike. Employed by Techniquest, an educational science and discovery center in the Welsh capital, she also supported staying in the EU.
“We had a program to bring in kids from disadvantaged backgrounds to learn about sciences and maths and we had lots of funding from the EU for that,” she said. “We are going to suffer as an organization as a result of this.”
When she woke to the news from the UK on Friday, Rogers said, she was “really upset with Wales. Absolutely shocked by the result, I didn’t even contemplate this happening”.
Her table of four agreed that it was possible that even Leave cheerleaders Boris Johnson and Michael Gove had been surprised by the referendum result.
“I think that’s evident by the complete lack of plan now that it’s come down on the side of Brexit,” said Chris Evans, 64, a civil lawyer from Blaengarw, near Bridgend.
Before kick-off a young Polish woman, watching her team beat the Swiss in a penalty shootout, was filled with uncertainty.
“What’s going to happen in the Premiership?” she asked, sounding genuinely alarmed.
Emilia Stec, 21, from southern Poland, is studying and working in New York. She is a huge fan of Real Madrid, but is also very concerned about what Brexit could mean for clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United.
“I mean, they have lots of imported European players, are they going to need work permits? Are they going to be more expensive? I feel in my heart that Brexit was a good decision to make, but what about the league?”
She wasn’t joking. Did she mind that she will find it more difficult to get into Britain in future?
“Not really,” she said. “I’m just worried about the Premiership.”
Upstairs, in a corner seat, a Frenchman was watching Switzerland v Poland while scratching his head over Brexit.
“It’s catastrophic for all Europe,” said Daniel Kazado, 51, chairman of a Nasdaq-quoted biotech company, in town from Lyon. “It creates a window for European disintegration. Do you understand the French word gâchis? When you spend a lot of time and energy for nothing?
“We’ve spent so much money to keep Greece in the union,” Kazado said, “and now with the UK just leaving us other countries might do the same, and populist politicians will push for it.”
He was concerned about divisive forces in France leading to a “social and cultural civil war” over unemployment, immigrants and the rise of rightwing forces.
“Have you been on Twitter?” he asked. “Lots of Brits are already saying they regret voting to leave and if they could vote again today they would stay. It’s such a pity.”
Willing on Northern Ireland – in vain, like their support for Remain – were Andrew Mulvenny, a 28-year-old finance sector worker from Carrickfergus, and Roger Woodend, 41, a telecoms salesman from Coleraine, who was watching with his wife and five-month-old baby, Patrick.
“I’m so annoyed about Brexit,” said Woodend. “People didn’t think. I’m old enough to remember it taking an hour to cross the border to go to Dublin. And the freedom of movement for education and travel in Europe – what about all that? What about that for Patrick?”
Mulvenny shook his head.
“I’m disappointed with the result,” he said. On both scores.