A Drained Cup : Soccer Crowds Dwindle and Pasadena Begins Returning to Normal After World-Class Party

Tony Vazquez figured it was his last chance to get in on a piece of the action.

He missed all eight of the World Cup games at the Rose Bowl, despite his best efforts to get tickets.

So there he was on Monday, spending his afternoon chatting with tourists and searching for bargains on hats and T-shirts at the tournament’s giant sale in a parking lot outside the stadium.

“I’m here for the remnants,” said Vazquez, an El Monte man who has been glued to his television since the tournament started a month ago. “I just wanted to see what of the World Cup was left.”

Most of the crowds were gone.

Andres Cantor, the man who became famous nationally for announcing “ Gooooooool! “ was finally starting to lose his voice.

And the city that had spent two years getting ready for the tournament cleaned up the trash and started to take down its colorful decorations.

Yet outside the Rose Bowl and along Colorado Boulevard in Old Pasadena, a few thousand of the most devout fans gathered for last-minute bargains and a few snapshots. Coming down from the world-class party wasn’t easy.

“I’m sorry it’s over,” said Greg Stavish, 42, a Pasadena man who watched the games on TV. “We witnessed a melting pot of cultures. It was uplifting that people from all over the world got along so well.”

Indeed, police reported few problems during the celebration that followed Brazil’s victory over Italy on Sunday in the World Cup final at the Rose Bowl--an event watched by perhaps 2 billion people around the globe.

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By some estimates, between 15,000 and 20,000 people were crammed into the streets of Old Pasadena for Sunday’s festivities.

But only 63 people, relatively few for the size of the event, were arrested during the postgame celebration--55 for public drunkenness, five for disturbing the peace, one for battery, one for throwing a flammable device and one for reckless driving. Another 32 people were arrested at the Rose Bowl for violations ranging from robbery to scalping.

“From our standpoint, we were very pleased,” said Pasadena Police Cmdr. Mary Schander. “We were really able to deliver a secure environment.”

However, she added: “The Brazilian fans do know how to party. The first reveler arrived at around 9 a.m. and the last one didn’t leave till after 2 a.m.”

Colorado Boulevard merchants were amazed by the numbers of hungry and thirsty partyers who turned up on their doorsteps.

On Monday morning, many business owners were struggling to restock everything from cigarettes to cans of Coke.

“We were just overwhelmed,” said Tom Rosenstein, owner of the Pasadena Creamery yogurt shop. “I have never seen anything like it. It was similar to the Rose Parade, but it was people who all wanted to spend money.

“If we could have one day like that every month, it would be fabulous.”

However, Cantor, the Spanish-language radio announcer, was ready for a much-needed rest.

The 31-year-old Argentine, who attended high school and college in Los Angeles, said he learned Monday that he might need surgery for a herniated disc--compounding his post-World Cup blues.

“The day after is always sort of a letdown physically,” said Cantor, his voice hoarse after calling all 52 games over the last month. In addition to interviewing players and coaches, he became the subject of dozens of interviews, including an appearance on the “David Letterman Show.”

Despite the back pain, he said, “I made it through.”

As for the World Cup, it “showed the world that the U.S. can stage an important event like this. It had record attendance, which speaks for itself.”

For those who still couldn’t get enough of soccer, the Disney International Youth Soccer Cup, for players ages 10 to 19, began Monday night with opening ceremonies along Holly Street in Pasadena.

The tournament, which will last six days, will be held on various fields in Pasadena, with the final games being played at the Rose Bowl.

Leonard Plotkin, a Pasadena lawyer who stopped by the Rose Bowl parking lot Monday afternoon to stock up on half-price shirts, has been coaching a team of girls from Arcadia preparing for the Disney cup.

He joked: “The little cup is over and now the big cup is about to start.”

Times staff writer Shawn Hubler contributed to this story.