Martha Sanchez, owner of Mercado de la Raza, a Latin American market on Beretania Street, opened her business later than usual yesterday so she could watch the Mexico-Angola World Cup match.

"I put a little sign in front (of the store) that said 'Mexico vs. Angola.' My throat is sore because I was screaming," she said yesterday, still upset at the referee over what she considered some bad calls.

Sanchez is among a hard-core group of local residents who are shutting down their businesses, arriving late to work and setting their alarms hours earlier than usual for the World Cup. The passion isn't widespread in Hawai'i, but for those who have it, the largest sporting event in the world has no equal.

Today should be a big day for local fans, as the United States takes on Italy in a match that's a must-win for Team USA.

"It's bigger than the Olympics, it's bigger than the Super Bowl," said Jose Villa, deputy director of the Honolulu Community Action Program.

Another true fan is Curtis Jamison, 27, who has been taping the 3 a.m. games every day and getting up to watch the 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. matches.

"I get up a lot earlier, and I go into work later," said Jamison, who works for the Ho'ola Training Institute.

This time, he didn't travel for the matches, but the former Hawai'i Pacific University soccer player flew to Chicago in 1994 to watch a World Cup match between Spain and Germany.

Jamison is originally from Guam, and soccer runs in his family. He played at HPU for a year and a half, until an injury took him out of the game. His brother is on the Guam national soccer team.

Although the game schedule makes it hard for Hawai'i fans to watch, Jamison said it's worse for fans in Guam, where games are at 11 p.m., 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. But it's worth losing sleep over, he said, because "(the World Cup) only comes around once every four years."

Maui soccer coach Dion Ruidas also is getting up early to watch the games. "My alarm goes off at 5:45 a.m.," Ruidas said.

He watches both the 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. games, and also tapes them as he's watching. "It's just in case I fall asleep," he said.

Other fans gathered yesterday at Legends Sports Pub in Waikiki.

Among them was Reginaldo Torres of Mexico, who is on vacation. But vacation or not, "there's no way we were going to miss this," he said.

Torres and two friends barely took their eyes off the screen and expressed their frustration in Spanish when the players from Mexico came close to scoring.

On Thursday, Fredrik Samuelsson and Hans de Wall, both from Sweden, watched the Sweden vs. Paraguay game at the pub. It's a 10-minute walk from their home, and the two say they wouldn't miss Sweden playing.

"I'm sure a lot of people (in Sweden) are taking vacation just to watch the whole World Cup," de Wall said.

Several fans are hoping for better things from the United States in today's game. Although most are doubtful that the U.S. will advance, some feel the team still has a chance.

"They just have to work real hard," said Mark Kane, head coach of the HPU and Castle High School women's soccer teams. "They cannot give up anything early."