KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County, including Independence. Share your story idea with Tod.
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Unsurprisingly, Gael's Public House & Sports drew a passionate crowd Friday for the U.S. Men's National Team's second group-stage World Cup match — a gathering that reflected the bar's reputation as a welcoming space for fans of all backgrounds.
It’s Pride Month, which is always an important time at the LGBTQ+-friendly sports bar, but it was national-team pride on display as USMNT routed Australia 2-0 to clinch a spot in the knockout rounds.
"Good food — excellent food, actually — and cold beer,” David Meyer, a USMNT fan watching at Gael's, said. “What more you want?"
Meyer is in town from St. Louis to attend Saturday’s Ecuador-Curacao match at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Gael’s came up high on search results and took reservations, so Meyer made his way to East 55th Street and Troost Avenue for the game.
David Hannigan, another fan in attendance, said Gael’s is the perfect spot to catch a World Cup game because of its welcoming nature.
"I love the community that comes around during the World Cup,” he said. “It's just, it's a great time.”
That sense of community is central to what Gael's owner and operator Derrick Bachman set out to build.
The bar, which previously operated as Mike's Tavern, has cultivated a following that extends well beyond any single demographic.
Thelma Oliver, a fan who watched Friday’s game at Gael’s, said she had been wanting to visit for some time.
"I used to come here when it was Mike's Tavern,” she said, “and I keep passing by, and I go, 'I want to go to Gael's. I want to go to Gael's.’ Some people say, ‘Well, you know, that's a gay bar,’ and I said, ‘Why do I care about that? I still want to go.’ So, that's where we came today.”
And had a blast.
Bachman said Friday's turnout was a reflection of what the bar has worked to create.
"It just goes to show that we have created a welcoming, open-door space,” he said. “It's built on a sense of community.”
That includes non-American supporters. Pete Logan, who was rooting for Australia, said Gael's came up as a top recommendation when searching for a Socceroos-friendly venue.
"We were looking for a place that was kind of like Australian-friendly for a World Cup match,” Logan said. “My wife looked up some places, and this was high up on the list.”
Bachman said that kind of cross-national fandom has become a regular feature of World Cup season at the bar.
"We've had people come in for Mexico, Argentina — honestly, every match I feel we've had someone represented," Bachman said. “We’ve even had someone in here from Curaçao.”
The inclusive atmosphere extends beyond soccer. Bachman noted that the bar's range of offerings keeps people around long after the final whistle.
"Gael's has so many activities going on that you can come for soccer and end up singing karaoke and staying all night long," he said. “... Gael’s goes hard all week.”
Now, Bachman hopes for a deep USMNT run in the tournament to keep the good vibes going.
“We've been having a really good time, just kind of getting into the swing of it,” he said. “I anticipate more and more traffic coming through. ... The further that they continue to go, the more people are going to come out to do all of the fun things, and we would just love it.”
The USMNT fans at Gael’s agreed.
"That's the hope, right?” Hannigan said. “I'm a big fan of underdogs — in soccer, the US is an underdog, right? It's amazing.”
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI, though it was rewritten substantially and edited. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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