Completing its stirring tale of football rebirth, Italy won the European Championship for the second time by beating England 3-2 on penalties on Sunday, July 11. And the cheering resonated all the way to San Pedro.
Related: Italy wins Euro 2020 final, beats England 3-2 in penalty shootout after 1-1 draw
More than 1,000 fans sporting Italy’s blue home-nation jerseys packed the patio at the Pepper Tree Plaza near City Hall for a Euro 2020 Final watch party. The portside fans were not disappointed, as Gianluigi Donnarumma dove to his left to save the decisive spot kick by England’s Bukayo Saka, halfway ’round the planet at London’s Wembley Stadium.
The South Bay community is home to one of the largest concentrations of people of Italian descent in California. A section of town was dubbed “Historic Little Italy” in 2019.
San Pedro has a legacy for such sports gatherings. In 2018, more than 1,200 fans of Croatian descent gathered to watch the World Cup final. That match didn’t turn out as well for San Pedro fans, as Croatia fell to France, 4-2.
Sunday’s free event was organized by Los Angeles City Councilmember Joe Buscaino, whose 15th District includes San Pedro, along with the Little Italy Association of Los Angeles and Discover San Pedro. The gathering featured a 17-foot outdoor LED screen to make sure everyone was able to witness the heavily anticipated tournament finale.
“Its amazing to see people come out to support Italy, even if they’re not a fan of the sport,” said Antoni Diaz, a San Pedro resident.
Streams of the game were also available at restaurants in Little Italy, including Happy Diner, Buono’s Pizzeria, Raffaello’s Ristorante, Kalaveras, and Think Cafe.
For much of the afternoon, roars of excitement could be heard from blocks away as the tense match between the star-studded teams pushed into extra time.
Fans were especially eager to see Italy win following its 32-game winning streak. In the end, the win provided a final chapter to the revival of the Italian program after it failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup — a first since 1958.
“We waited an extra year for this tournament,” said Michael Arana, a San Pedro resident. “But win or lose I’m just happy to be able to be in a big crowd to watch a game again.”
And the action wasn’t just confined to the waterfront.
Italian jerseys and flags could be spotted all around the city, along with another big watch party held outside the Italian American Club on 19th Street.
“We have a deep history in this city,” said Diaz, “and it’s moments like this where you realize just how vast and proud the Italian American community really is here.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report