A viewing party for the telecasts of Tuesday’s U.S.- England 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinal will be held at the Sycuan Stage in Park at the Park at Petco Park.
Gates will open at 11 a.m. for the noon game with the Park at the Park closing promptly at 3:30 p.m. for the Padres game at 7:10 p.m. There will be $5 beer specials including Budweiser and Ballast Point Swingin’ Friar Ale, select concessions for purchase, a live DJ during breaks, photo opportunities, appearances by Pad Squad, interactive activities and giveaways.
The East Village, Gaslamp, Balboa and downtown gates will all be open for entry. Standard Petco Park entry policies, including metal detectors, will be in place. Admission is free.
A viewing party organized by the San Diego chapter of American Outlaws, a nationwide support group for the U.S. men’s and women’s national soccer teams, will be held at O’Briens Pub at 4646 Convoy St. in Kearny Mesa.
The game will be televised in English by Fox and in Spanish by Telemundo.
The U.S. is first in the rankings compiled by FIFA, soccer’s international governing body. England is ranked third. Both teams have won all five of their games in the tournament.
The teams played to a 2-2 tie March 2 in a She Believes Cup game in Nashville, Tennessee. The U.S. leads the series, 10-4-2, with two of the losses coming in the first two games. Of the last five meetings, four have been 1-0 results, with three wins for the United States and one for England.
English goalkeeper Karen Bardsley was born in Santa Monica to English parents, raised in Chino Hills, graduating from Ruben S. Ayala High School. She has a bachelor’s degree from Cal State Fullerton in graphic design.
Bardsley had started in four of England’s five games, recording shutouts in each of the last three.
All 23 U.S. players play in the National Women’s Soccer League. England’s roster includes two players who play in the NWSL, forward Jodie Taylor, who plays for the Tacoma, Washington-based Reign FC, where she is a teammate of U.S. forward Megan Rapinoe and midfielder Allie Long, and defender Rachel Daly of the Houston Dash.
The English roster also includes defender Lucy Bronze, who plays for Olympique Lyon, which plays some of its home games at Stade de Lyon, and one player each who play for teams in Germany and Spain. All the other players play for teams in England.
The winner will advance to Sunday’s final against the winner of Wednesday’s Netherlands-Sweden semifinal. The loser will play in the third- place game Saturday.
–City News Service
