More than 8,500 people showed up at Bethlehem's SteelStacks on Sunday to soak up the USA Women's soccer team's epic World Cup title by defeating Japan 5-2.

It was the monthlong culmination to the tournament on Bethlehem's South Side, which started with thunderstorms and indoor attendance for the USA's group stage opener against Australia, but finished with blue skies and plenty of fanfare for Sunday's final.

Curt Mosel, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Partnerships for ArtsQuest, knew this tournament would have different appeal compared to last year's men's' World Cup, but the end result certainly left everyone happier.

"It was an awesome experience," Mosel said of Sunday's victory for the women's team. "This was the culmination of a lot of people's hard work. Having 8,500 people [on Sunday] was beyond most of our staff's expectations. We had challenges with rain during the tournament, but in the end, it was a very successful event."

Sunday's crowd was the largest crowd for the women's World Cup and the second largest ever at SteelStacks, falling just short of the 10,000-plus fans that came to watch the USA men play Portugal in last year's World Cup. Sunday's attendance also doubled the 4,000 people that showed up for the USA-China quarterfinal 10 days ago.

Overall, the SoccerFest viewing parties pulled in over 23,000 people to Bethlehem. Sunday's viewing party was the second largest one in the country, coming behind only Chicago, where the US Soccer Federation headquarters is located.

"Our event was double what Kansas City had," said Mosel. "I think we surprised people in the country with what we did. It certainly feels good to have Bethlehem on the map like that."

With SteelStacks cementing themselves as a popular destination for summer viewing parties, Mosel would like to keep the momentum going next summer, when the 2016 Copa America Tournament will be held in the United States.

The Copa America is South America's regional tournament and is the oldest international competition in the world. Next summer will highlight their 100th anniversary and will be played in venues across the country, as USA, Mexico, Jamaica and Costa Rica will join the tournament to provide the biggest international soccer event the USA has held since hosting the FIFA Women's World Cup in 1999.

"We're already looking forward to the Copa America next summer," Mosel said. "People love coming to these events and we're looking at whatever we can do to provide a great experience."