World Cup fever has not yet reached the Waterville area. The Elm City doesn’t even have a World Cup cough.

Around the country, fans came out in huge numbers for public viewings of World Cup games. Bars all over the nation were packed by fans from all over the world out to support their favorite team. I went out on Monday hoping to find some raucous fans watching Team USA’s game against Ghana. I hoped to find fans shouting at the television, or at least engaged in the game.

“Who is this,” a man at The Pointe Afta in Winslow asked just as the USA-Ghana game was about to start, “Brazil and somebody?”

Oh well.

I was just a kid in 1982 when Italy won the World Cup, but I remember the reaction of the old Italian stonecutters of Barre, Vt., where my family lived. These men turned blocks of granite into works of art, and they celebrated that World Cup championship the entire summer. My neighbor, Mr. Bardelli, grinned right through Labor Day.

My friend Christina lives near New Bedford, Mass., and said the city’s large Portuguese population was horrified by Portugal’s lackluster performance in Monday afternoon’s 4-0 loss to Germany.

I wasn’t expecting to find dozens of face-painted fans dressed in their best red, white and blue. I was hoping to find a few fans on the edge of their seats.

On Monday afternoon, Stan LaPointe, the owner of the Pointe Afta, wasn’t sure what kind of crowd the World Cup game would draw to his restaurant. Not the packed house of the Super Bowl, but maybe a few extra fans.

“I have a couple guys who are big soccer fans who come in a lot. They might be here,” LaPointe said.

If they were there, they watched in silence. There was no cheer at the Pointe Afta when Clint Dempsey scored for Team USA in the first minute of the game. I don’t think anybody noticed. If anybody was paying attention to the game, they hadn’t settled in yet.

At the Silver Street Tavern in Waterville, Dempsey’s quick goal also drew more surprise than applause.

“It happened so fast, people looked up and said ‘Oh, we’re winning. Cool.'” said Eddie Duguie, Silver Street Tavern’s bar manager.

One of the few fans watching the game at the Silver Street Tavern was Jim Prior of Waterville. He sat at the end of the bar and watched the game. He described himself as a casual fan.

“I’m not hardcore or anything,” Prior said. “I was coming over and I thought, ‘I’ll watch the game.’ I like it. When the USA plays, I’ll watch.”

The biggest reaction at Silver Street Tavern in the first half came with the replay of Dempsey’s injury, when his nose was nearly ripped from his face like a Mr. Potato Head piece.

There were no celebrations in the streets of central Maine with the USA’s 2-1 win over Ghana, but maybe the win will allow a little World Cup fever to take hold. Maybe the frenzy will build for Sunday’s game against Portugal. A win or a tie would ensure that Team USA moves on to the next round. We do love a winner, so maybe Monday’s victory will draw more fans for Sunday’s game.

A win over Portugal might bring a touch of World Cup fever to central Maine, but I don’t think it will become an epidemic. A mild World Cup head cold. I’d settle for that.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

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Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM