USA beat Australia 2-0 on Friday as crowds gathered at Pier 39's free waterfront fan zone. Their final group stage match broadcasts there Thursday, June 25.

USA beat Australia 2-0 on Friday — the game was in Seattle, but San Francisco watched it from one of the better seats on the bay: the Pier 39 Fan Zone, where a crowd gathered on the Embarcadero waterfront with Alcatraz somewhere in the background and the sea lions providing commentary from K-Dock.

The Pier 39 Fan Zone (The Embarcadero & Beach Street, SF 94133) is part of the Bay Area Host Committee's free watch party network and runs through July 19. It's a different scene from Thrive City or China Basin Park — you're on the tourist waterfront, with 90-plus restaurants and bars, a beer garden, and no admission charge. The vibe is looser, the views are better, and nobody's fighting for a Lyft in Mission Bay when it's over.

USA is now 2-0 in group play: 4-1 over Paraguay in the opener, now a clean sheet against Australia. Their third and final group stage match broadcasts at Pier 39 on Thursday, June 25 — the game that locks in bracket position, and almost certainly the biggest USA crowd of the three.

Getting there: Embarcadero BART/Muni station is about a 15-minute walk north along the waterfront, or one stop on the F-Market streetcar. The Pier 39 Garage is directly across from the entrance plaza if you're driving. Arrive early — standing room fills when the US plays.