San Jose is moving its official World Cup watch parties to SAP Center and Discovery Meadow for Sunday’s match between Mexico and England. San Pedro Square has drawn tens of thousands of fans for World Cup matches so far, with crowds regularly filling the area. City officials expect even more fa ns for Sunday’s match and said the larger venues are needed to accommodate the anticipated turnout. “We’re showing the rest of the country what it means to be a soccer city,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement. “The enthusiasm and energy our community is bringing to these matches is incredible. On the eve of historic matchups between Mexico and England, and Brazil and Norway, we’re opening larger venues where fans and families can come together and celebrate safely.” During Tuesday’s match featuring Mexico and Ecuador, more than 40,000 fans tried to crowd into San Pedro Square. Many were turned away. Following the match and watch party, two people were stabbed and several others were arrested. Discovery Meadow will show both the Mexico-England (5 p.m.) and Brazil-Norway (1 p.m.) matches, while SAP Center will show Mexico-England. Tickets for both watch parties sold out quickly Friday. While the official watch parties will be held at SAP Center and Discovery Meadow, the bars and restaurants in San Pedro Square will remain open Sunday. The official watch parties will return to San Pedro Square on Monday for Team USA’s Round of 16 match against Belgium. Some San Pedro Square business owners said they have mixed feelings about the change. “I will miss the atmosphere,” O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub owner David Mulvehill said. “I’m going to miss the atmosphere a lot. Those games were a lot of fun. But I get where the city is coming from. You got too many people. Sometimes safety is a priority.” San Jose Jul 1 Security increases as World Cup watch parties bring thousands to downtown San Jose World Cup Jun 30 San Jose erupts as Mexico wins first World Cup knockout match in 40 years ...read more read less