Mayor Cherelle L. Parker shops for kits, American fans cheer on USMNT, and other highlights from FIFA Fan Festival

The United States’ dream start to the FIFA World Cup continued with a 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle that secured the Americans’ place in the knockout round.

Fans in Philadelphia packed the FIFA Fan Festival in Lemon Hill on Friday to take in the match.

The crowd on hand for U.S.-Australia, the first World Cup match of the day on Friday, was in favor of the Stars and Stripes, but Haitian and Brazilian fans took in the spectacle before their squads’ scheduled meeting at Philadelphia Stadium (8:30 p.m., Fox29).

» READ MORE: The USMNT clinches advancing in the World Cup with a 2-0 win over Australia

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker helped open the gates of the fan festival before the USMNT’s clash with Australia.

Parker walked into the crowd waiting at the festival’s main gate and posed for photos with fans waiting in line, including one with a group of traveling Scottish supporters.

Parker said she was appreciative that fans are showing up to the city and the festival “authentically, as themselves.”

“We are a global culture, and we are one people,” Parker said. “What makes America and the world so amazing, is that all of us, no matter the fabric, no matter the patchwork in our quilt, we make up a global humanity, and an American community that’s representative of everyone. I’m excited about it all.”

After greeting fans waiting to get into the festival on Sedgley Drive, Parker greeted a few vendors inside the festival. She stopped at the Bank of America tent to make a bracelet — she chose a black band with all the Philly-specific charms and a World Cup trophy charm — then stopped into the FIFA store on the festival grounds.

With the help of a few store associates, Parker picked out some kits and World Cup merchandise, including both Brazil jerseys, a sea foam France away jersey, a yellow Curaçao jersey, two World Cup logo shirts, and a stripes U.S. jersey.

Parker said she’s enjoyed seeing soccer fans out and about in the city.

» READ MORE: Rocky curse? Brazil supporters aren’t taking any chances ahead of World Cup clash with Haiti.

“We were on the parkway, and Brazil was turning it out and up,” Parker said. “Everywhere we’ve been, they’re like, ‘Philadelphia is beautiful, the experience is great.’ You can be a visitor one time, but they’ll feel Philadelphia.

“You have to feel the energy here. We are not like any other city in the nation. There is something special about Philadelphia, and being able to share that Philly-ness with the world is something really exciting.”

A line to enter the festival had already formed an hour before it opened to spectators at 2 p.m.

Friday was the first time a U.S. match coincided with a match being played in Philadelphia, making the fan festival a watch party for American fans and a prematch hangout for Brazilian and Haitian fans.

The festival is free to the public with registration, but only 15,000 people can be on the festival grounds at once.

The festival did not reach full capacity during the U.S. match, but it got close. Festival organizers said attendance peaked at 14,000.

According to the festival, more than 100,000 people entered its grounds in its first three days of operation.

Gus Sanchez, who stood near the front of the line on Friday afternoon, said he and his family arrived around noon after biking over from Northeast Philly.

Sanchez said he wanted to watch the U.S. men’s team take on Australia with a crowd, leading him to come over to the festival.

“It’s something I can’t explain,” Sanchez, 53, said. “Seeing people from different countries getting together, having fun, enjoying the game.”

Most of the fans waiting to enter the festival were wearing U.S. garb, but fans of Haiti, Brazil, and even Scotland, which kicked off with Morocco at 6 p.m., were represented.

Alex Nelson said he traveled from Prestwick, Scotland, about 30 miles south of Glasgow, to the U.S. to experience the environment of the World Cup.

He arrived in Philadelphia from Boston, where the Scots played Haiti last Saturday, to take in Scotland-Morocco at the fan festival on Friday.

Nelson, sporting a tartan kilt, said he’s loved his time in Philly so far.

“Very clean city,” Nelson said. “Everybody has been so helpful. Everybody’s mixed in — the Brazilians, the Moroccans, USA, all mixed. That’s what it’s all about.”

The lively crowd had plenty to celebrate, as the U.S. went up, 1-0, after Cameron Burgess knocked in an Australian own goal in the 11th minute.

The crowd erupted as the States took the lead, with chants of “U-S-A” following a frenetic celebration.

American fans celebrated again as Alex Freeman doubled the States’ lead with a goal in the 43rd minute.

Their celebration was placed on a temporary hold, as the goal was called offside on the field and disallowed, but after a Video Assistant Referee check confirmed Freeman’s goal counted, the crowd got another opportunity to cheer.

Fans looked on nervously as Australia angled to get back into the match in its final 20 minutes, and they shouted when the game got chippy in its closing moments.

The crowd celebrated as the full-time whistle blew, marking a 2-0 victory for the Americans.

The World Cup in Philly

Nine nations will compete in five group stage matches this summer, plus two more in a knockout game on July 4. Here’s what you need to know about those countries — and what those fans need to know about Philly. Click here for more.