It may have been a luke-warm start to the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup for the Lehigh Valley SoccerFest at SteelStacks, but things should get better just as the USA squad's play.

The USA women defeated Australia 3-1 on Monday night in their opening group play match, as Bethlehem's South Side viewing party became an indoor affair for the nearly 1,000 people that showed up.Rain came down in sheets nearly 45 minutes before kickoff and the outdoor venue was forced to close shop and move inside, where USA fans nestled in the confines of enclosed quarters and big screens to take in Monday's match.Curt Mosel, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Sponsorship's for ArtsQuest wasn't overly disappointed about Monday's rain-out, as Friday's USA match against Sweden at 8 p.m. plans to be the biggest draw of the group stage matches at SteelStacks."If we were going to have a bad night for the weather, I guess tonight [Monday] wasn't a bad night for it to happen," Mosel said. "We hope the weather is fantastic on Friday, as we expect that to be the biggest night for the opening matches. We think that there can be between 5,000-7,000 people here for that match, as it's arguably one of the best matchups of the opening round."Friday's weather, as of print, appears to be a perfect night to drive down to SteelStacks, as the weather should be rain-free and the activity calendar will be at maximum, as the Philadelphia Union will do a clinic for kids, more vendors will be on site and concerts will be playing before and after the contest, along with a DJ.Monday's rain may have caused a washout , but with the USA women expected to have a deep run in the tournament, it could be a small hiccup in the grand scheme of things, leading up to the World Cup final on July 5."We actually have some events going on through that weekend of July 4th that will go on no matter what happens to the women's team," Mosel said. "This event will draw a little bit of a different crowd compared to last year's World Cup, but I think you're going to see a lot of the same people and get the same camaraderie like last year. You can't get the same type of energy in your living room as you'll get here. We're looking forward to the weekend."