PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Heavy rain and thunderstorms produced a rare bout of heavy rain. world cup The halftime break for the France-Iraq game lasted two hours and 10 minutes due to weather delays on Monday.
This was the first time that a World Cup match had been postponed due to rain, and the first time in at least several decades that a World Cup match had to be postponed mid-game due to bad weather. Halftime began at 5:50 p.m. EDT, and the game resumed at 8 p.m. This was an hour and 55 minutes longer than the scheduled 15-minute halftime break.
It also rained heavily before the game on Monday night. between norway and senegal The event in East Rutherford, New Jersey, started on time.
As France led 1-0 at halftime, the scoreboard told the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field to take shelter in the covered areas of the stadium, warning of an approaching severe storm. Thousands of fans huddled on the concourse and under the balconies, and rain continued to fall during halftime.
The suspension was initially expected to extend the halftime break by 15 minutes. As the postponement dragged on, stadium officials announced that “the game will resume as soon as it is deemed safe.”
Approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes later, when they returned to the field for warm-ups, the crowd cheered. Crews used a squeegee to push the standing water toward the side of the wetland.
Under FIFA rules, if lightning is detected within eight miles, the match will be suspended for 30 minutes. The clock is reset after each strike.
France and Iraq played the game in a downpour that started in the 37th minute. Fans wore ponchos and mostly remained in their seats until they were told to evacuate at halftime.
FIFA has long had a reputation for continuing matches even in extreme weather conditions. The 2014 game between the United States and Germany continued in Brazil even after heavy rains that flooded parts of the surrounding city.
The World Cup regulations do not specify weather conditions that would cause matches to be delayed or stopped. However, the rules state: “If the match is abandoned due to force majeure after kick-off, the match shall not be replayed in full, but shall be restarted with the same scoreline from the moment play was interrupted.”
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