In soccer, the upper 90 is said to be the best place to take shots. For Fort Worth soccer fans, the Upper 90 may be the best place to take shots.
Named after the top 90-degree angles in a goalpost, this casual hole-in-the-wall on Magnolia has catered to Texas soccer enthusiasts for the last decade.
Nowhere in North Texas will discerning footy fanatics find a more welcoming environment: cheap booze, a 6 a.m. opening time during Tottenham and Bayern Munich game days, and a flat-screen TV every 2 feet.
Manager Claudia Reuter said the usual clientele is a healthy mix of Fort Worth natives and international expats all united by the love of one sport.
“Everyone cheering for the same thing at the same time is always so much fun,” she said. “It’s a very, very cool culture. We have a few guys who have met up here, just happened to be watching the same game, started talking, and then formed a group.”
Regulars and newcomers alike have been drawn to the site night after night during the ongoing FIFA World Cup. On the evening of July 6, fans screamed, cried, and hung their heads in shame as Team USA’s journey came to an end after an embarrassing 4-1 loss to Belgium.
For lifelong soccer players like Tyler Eidson, the bitter loss was not without a silver lining.
“I’m mainly just glad that America’s on the map,” he said. “I traveled a lot growing up, and soccer was kind of a language, and so I was able to speak with and connect with a lot of people around the world. … Soccer is one of those sports, or football rather, that really is more than just the passes that are made. There’s so much passion in it that people just can’t help but get involved and want to see their countries do well.”
Eidson, who lives a few miles from Upper 90, said it was only his second time visiting the sports bar but that he had already begun making connections and having a blast sharing his favorite pastime with others.
“Compared to a Dallas Cowboys game, which feels like everyone’s there with a clipboard in an office and very quiet and analytical, today was just full of passion and love for the game,” he said. “I think that if Upper 90 plays even a 1% part in the growth of the game, then more people will come and really start to enjoy what all it has to offer to the world.”
