"Good job nevertheless," a Russia fan said Saturday after the national team was edged out of the World Cup knockout round against Croatia in an overtime penalty shootout, according to dpa. "They played well," but "everyone's disappointed," she said as she left the World Cup Fan Fest on the campus of Moscow State University. The Fan Fest has been a center for fans wanting to enjoy the camaraderie of the tournament without having to buy a ticket to a particular match. The matches at the Fan Fest, conducted in the various World Cup host cities, are broadcast on large television screens before the crowd. Another fan expressed hope that Croatia would win the championship. "It wouldn't be so bad if we lost to the winning team," she said. The crowd placed its hopes on the star goalkeeper, Igor Akinfeev, in the last moments of the match. "Igor, Igor Akinfeev, hey, hey," the crowd chanting during the penalty shootout. A young couple wearing "I am Mexico" sweatshirts cheered for Russia. Alex from Mexico and Yeva from Russia met at the Fan Fest earlier in the championship. Alex, wearing a Russian T-shirt underneath his green Mexico sweatshirt, said the tournament has been a great opportunity for people around the world to meet each other. When asked whether Yeva and he were already in love, he replied: "We're working on that." Russia's fans still cheered after the loss, as this has been the farthest that the national team has progressed in a World Cup in the country's post-Soviet history. "Ros-si-ya, Ros-si-ya" (Russia, Russia), fans chanted as they made their way out of the tree-lined campus.
