We had a feeling that setting up Anthony with Dana during the first weekend of the World Cup would be goal-worthy. Dana, a 30-year-old marketing manager, is a competitive soccer player, and Anthony, a 37-year-old aspiring teacher, is an avid fan. Over dinner at Midtown’s Italian eatery Bice, sports dominated the conversation — but did Dana score, or will Anthony be sent back out to play the field again?
He said:
I was a little nervous about going on a blind date and wasn’t sure if I should wear my Team Mexico jacket. I’m a big fan, so I was eager to show my support. In the end, I decided to go for it.
My first impression of Dana was that she was very cute. She had a nice smile and was petite, so I felt a bit like a giant next to her.
Over a bottle of Chianti , we discussed the World Cup, grad school and our mutual interest in dancing. Overall, her athleticism really impressed me. She plays soccer and has a pretty intense kickboxing regimen.
There were moments when I felt she was a little quiet, but it was probably because I was talking too much, which I’m prone to do.
After dinner, we parted ways and I asked for her e-mail address. I was attracted to Dana and thought she was a lot of fun, so it’d be great to see her again.
She said:
When Anthony first walked in, he seemed like a confident, nice guy, and I could tell he was a gentleman. I liked the way he carried himself, and we were very comfortable early on. When we got to talking, it turned out we had a lot in common: We’re both adventurous, always on the go, play tennis, love to dance and watch soccer. We had a friendly fight about the World Cup: He’s rooting for Mexico, while I am hoping USA will take it.
I’m a very sarcastic person in general, and Anthony is as well, so we had a lot of fun joking around.
After sharing the baked Alaska dessert, Anthony walked me out, hailed me a cab and took my e-mail. As a first blind date, it worked out much better than I expected.