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Fans have come in record numbers to watch the United States team as it tries to reclaim the world championship it won in 1991 and lost in 1995.

Attendance for the first three U.S. games--at Giants Stadium, Soldier Field and Foxboro Stadium--totaled 194,536, an average of 64,845 a game.

On Tuesday, World Cup ’99 organizers announced that ticket demand has forced them to open the upper deck at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium for Thursday night’s United States-Germany quarterfinal, which will be followed by the Brazil-Nigeria quarterfinal.

“Based on the increased interest, we felt we needed to open the top level,” said Marla Messing, World Cup ’99 president and CEO. “With the additional seats, we’ll have a capacity of approximately 55,000.”

Seating in the stadium, located in Landover, Md., had been reduced to a capacity of 41,110 for the first round and quarterfinals.

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Singer-actress Jennifer Lopez will perform at the World Cup’s closing ceremony July 10 at the Rose Bowl.

The addition of Lopez to the program Tuesday caused organizers to switch the start of the third-place match from 10:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. The closing ceremony will take place at 12:30 p.m., with the championship final still scheduled for 12:50 p.m.

So far, 55,000 tickets have been sold for the final and third-place games.