FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are playing in the most competitive MLS Cup final in league history.
The game-time temperature in Fort Lauderdale during Saturday’s kickoff between Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps was 84 degrees (28 degrees Celsius), according to the National Weather Service.
Add in 60% relative humidity and the heat index feels like 87 degrees (30 degrees Celsius). On a very sunny day, the team took a short break. The bench area was covered in clouds long before kickoff, but once the game started most of the fan seats were exposed to direct sunlight.
It was unseasonably warm even for South Florida. Typical high temperatures during this time of year are around 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius).
According to the league, the previous hottest MLS Cup final was in 2004, when DC United defeated Kansas City 3-2 in Carson, Calif., with a game-time temperature of 81 degrees (27 degrees Celsius).
As expected, it was pretty cool in Vancouver on Saturday. The temperature at kickoff was 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius).
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
