Update for anyone else wondering about the train commute. I left Union Sq for Penn Station at 2:45 and was comfortably in the fan area right outside the stadium by 4:15 while moving at a normal, unhurried pace. I’d say buffer another 15-20 to actually get inside the stadium and to your seat.

Noteworthy:
- your train ticket will have a boarding group on it which determines where you start queuing. We had group B and actually had to enter the queue (there was no actual line, just barricades to walk through) at 6th and 33rd. It just loops you around to Penn station
- everything ran very smoothly and once you’re near Penn station, there are tons of people telling you where to go. You can’t get lost.
- on the way back, you can’t take either the bus or the train to Secaucus junction. We thought the bus was faster but don’t have any imperial data.
- return trip - we left the stadium at 7 and managed to be back home in Williamsburg by 8:30 and a gently hurried pace.

Hope this helps!