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AUSTIN (KXAN) – More than 6,500 miles from the heart of Tokyo, Austinites had to wake up at sunrise to see the U.S. women’s soccer team dominate New Zealand in a clumsy 6-1 win during the Olympics early Saturday morning.
Dozens of people did just that, some with American flags, others in Team USA jerseys, for a watch party hosted by the American Outlaws: Austin Chapter, a membership group working to increase the popularity of football in Austin.
Haymaker, a saloon and sandwich shop that usually opens at noon, opened its doors hours earlier for the event.
![People sit in the Shoal Creek Saloon]()
Austinites enjoy their Saturday afternoons while watching the Olympics on the deck of the Shoal Creek Saloon (KXAN Photo / Grace Reader)![ATX Austin Outlaws watch Team USA]()
The ATX Austin Outlaws gathered to watch the U.S. women’s soccer team Saturday morning (photo courtesy ATX Austin Outlaws)![Austin people gather to watch the Olympics]()
The ATX Austin Outlaws gathered to watch the U.S. women’s soccer team Saturday morning (photo courtesy ATX Austin Outlaws)
Austinites enjoy their Saturday afternoons while watching the Olympics on the deck of the Shoal Creek Saloon (KXAN Photo / Grace Reader)
The ATX Austin Outlaws gathered to watch the U.S. women’s soccer team Saturday morning (photo courtesy ATX Austin Outlaws)
The ATX Austin Outlaws gathered to watch the U.S. women’s soccer team Saturday morning (photo courtesy ATX Austin Outlaws)Local restaurants and bars that broadcast the Olympics
If you’re not that into all that 4am wake up, many local bars and restaurants host the Tokyo Olympics regularly throughout the day.
The Shoal Creek Saloon, an infamous hub for New Orleans Saints fans, said it would “make a big party of it, just like they do with everything”.
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Even on Saturday lunchtime, the sports bar let a number of people swing through to casually watch.
Juan Thomas and Bethany Holley, who were at the saloon for lunch, said that they especially enjoy watching sports they don’t normally see, like water polo. It didn’t hurt that the United States water polo team beat Japan 25-4 while they were there on Saturday.
“It was just a landslide victory,” laughed Thomas.
Other local bars and breweries also promise Olympic viewing. Bouldin Acres, a beer garden and restaurant, announced to KXAN that its televisions will be aligned with the Games over the next several weeks. Black Sheep Lodge has highlighted certain Olympic events on its website to attract fans.
Sign up for Olympic push notifications on the KXAN News app and our More than the Score newsletter to follow Texans at the Olympics and moments you don’t want to miss. Tune in to the daily KXAN Olympic stream on kxan.com from Monday to Friday at noon.
COVID-19 still at play
The start of the Tokyo Olympics coincided on site with a move to level 4 risk-based COVID-19 guidelines. Austin-Travis County’s health officials announced Friday that they were concerned about an increase in cases and hospitalizations in central Texas, particularly among unvaccinated people and because of the importance of the Delta variant.
Hand sanitizer and wipes are available to customers in the Shoal Creek Saloon while they watch the Olympics (KXAN Photo / Grace Reader)
Shoal Creek Saloon suspects that as a result, there won’t be as many people out to see the Olympics.
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“There are just people who are still a little tired of going out,” said Brian Howe, general manager at Shoal Creek Saloon. “I feel like it’s a really safe place to watch a game, but I think there will be some people who choose to stay home this year. ”
If you are one of those people, KXAN brings you Olympic Games coverage on-air and online.
We want to see you celebrate Team USA from home! Submit your pictures, videos, or tips via kxan.com/reportit or email Grace.reader@kxan.com.
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