(From top) Soccer fans catch the Germany vs Costa Rica match at the CC&FC and The Park on Friday night. Pictures by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya and Pabitra Das

CC&FC

The rest day of The Telegraph Merchants' Cup Football at CC&FC came alive at night as the other Cup kicked off. The popular club bar became the nerve centre for football action from 9.30 pm on Friday as hosts Germany took on Costa Rica in the World Cup opener.

With the beer flowing and cheers greeting every other move on the Munich pitch, it was a carnival atmosphere on the eve of The Telegraph Merchants' Cup finals on Saturday evening.

'Soccer is very much the flavour of the season. My wife and daughters are interested in football but not to the extent of sitting up at night and watching it. In the club we have many like-minded people who love a game of football over a couple of beers. Here we can shout, scream and celebrate the victory of our favourite teams. The World Cup is also a good excuse for boy bonding,' smiled club member Sablok Maheshwari, gung-ho about the German goals.

For CC&FC members, the Cup truly brimmeth over. 'Both the bars will be open to members for all World Cup matches. We had more than 350 members watching the first match in both the bars. Free snacks were served and prices on some drinks were slashed by 50 per cent. As the excitement grows, we intend to put up a giant screen in the pavilion,' said a spokesperson for the club.

The Park

The mood was no less football festive at the Park Street hotel on Friday night, with its three most popular hangouts playing host to the Cup ' on big television screens at The Atrium and Someplace Else and on a giant screen at Tantra. 'Nobody would have liked to miss the opening matches and so we ensured that diners and party hoppers could enjoy their soccer,' smiled a spokesperson for The Park.

And it proved a hit. While The Atrium and Someplace Else saw a big crowd for the opening ceremony and the Germany vs Costa Rica opener, Tantra witnessed a crowd crush for a combination of football and fashion: Ecuador vs Poland and the Fashion Police show starring Jattinn Kochhar.

Germany was clearly the crowd favourite, but Costa Rica's brave battle attracted its fair share of applause. Special shots like Penalty (fiery combo of tequila and Tabasco) and Sudden Death (Bacardi, mint and a dash of lime) on the special Cup menu went down well at Atrium, where the decor matched the drama.

The Oliver Kahn sandwich and David Beckham fish 'n' chips were also in demand. At Tantra, beer was the highest scorer.