. . .At 2:49 PM on a sweltering, steam-pot-hot, mid-August (the 15th) Tuesday in 2017 in uptown Charlotte (NC, USA), I opened the massive portcullis-esque wooden door and entered RíRá, an Irish pub on North Tryon Street. The air conditioning felt great. I glanced up at the nearest flat-screen TV. The score was still nil-nil (Hoffenheim – Liverpool) in the 5th minute. Good deal – haven’t missed a goal. I made my way over to the bar and alighted on a stool three-fourths of the way down. Soon I was looking once again at the statue of St. Patrick. Ah, he’s still scaring the snakes away from the beer taps. Then in the 10th minute, Hoffenheim were awarded a spot kick, due to Lovren tripping Gnabry in the penalty area. “Come on, Dejan!” I yelled to a nearly vacant back section of the tavern.. . . Read More