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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Free watch parties for the broadcasts of Friday's U.S.-England World Cup soccer game will be held at Hermosa Beach Pier Plaza and several other locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
The game from Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, is set to begin at 11 a.m. and be televised by Fox and Telemundo.
Watch party attendees are encouraged to bring clear, stadium-approved bags only.
Parties will also be held at the location Saturday for the 8 a.m. game between France and Denmark and the 11 a.m. game between Mexico and Argentina.
Watch parties for Friday's game are also being organized by various chapters of American Outlaws, a nationwide support group for the U.S. men's and women's national soccer teams. They will be held at Lopez & Lefty's in Anaheim; Arrow Lodge Brewing in Covina; The Surly Goat in Encino; Underdogs Sports Bar in Glendale; Underground Pub & Grill in Hermosa Beach and Legends Sports Bar in Long Beach.
England is fifth in the rankings compiled by FIFA, soccer's international governing body. The U.S. is ranked 16th.
The Three Lions opened play in the tournament with a 6-2 victory over Iran on Monday. The U.S. tied Wales, 1-1, in its opener Monday.
The game is unlikely to impact the U.S. chances of advancing to the single-elimination portion of the tournament. If the U.S. defeats England, it would be assured of advancing with at least a tie against Iran in its final group play game Tuesday.
However, a loss to England would mean the U.S. would advance with a victory over Iran and be eliminated with a tie or loss as it would finish third or lower in Group B. The top two teams in each of the eight four-team groups advance to the single-elimination portion of the tournament.
The ABC News-owned data prediction website FiveThirtyEight.com gives the U.S. a 43% chance of advancing and Iran a 54% chance.
The U.S. has never lost to England in the World Cup, winning 1-0 in 1950 in one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history and playing to a 1-1 tie in 2010.
The U.S. is 2-8-1 against England, including a 3-0 loss in their most recent meeting, Nov. 15, 2018. Seven current U.S. men's national team players played in that game and six on England's World Cup team.
The U.S. roster includes two players from the Los Angeles area. Midfielder Cristian Roldan is an alumnus of El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera. Forward Haji Wright played for the LA Galaxy Academy from 2012-15, then signed with the New York Cosmos, then of the Division II North American Soccer League, on March 30, 2015, three days after his 17th birthday.
The U.S. team consists of nine players who play in Major League Soccer, six in England's Premier League, two each in Germany, Italy, Spain and the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system, and one each in France, Scotland and Turkey.
All but one of England's players play in the Premier League. The exception is midfielder Jude Bellingham, a teammate of U.S. forward Gio Reyna at Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga.
U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner is teammates with English goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, defender Ben White and forward Bukayo Saka at Arsenal. U.S. forward Christian Pulisic plays with midfielders Conor Gallagher and Mason Mount plus forward Raheem Sterling at Chelsea.
FiveThirtyEight.com gives the U.S. a 20% chance of winning, England a 54% chance with a 26% chance of the game ending in a tie.