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06/22 19:46 CDT World Cup sees first weather delay, with France-Iraq game in
Philadelphia paused for 2 hours
World Cup sees first weather delay, with France-Iraq game in Philadelphia
paused for 2 hours
By COLLIN BINKLEY
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) --- Heavy rain and thunderstorms prompted a rare World Cup
weather delay on Monday, when the halftime break during a match between France
and Iraq lasted 2 hours, 10 minutes.
It was the first rain delay of the tournament and the first time in at least
several decades that a World Cup match was delayed midgame because of inclement
weather. Halftime began at 5:50 p.m. EDT and the game resumed at 8 p.m. --- 1
hour, 55 minutes longer than the scheduled 15-minute halftime break.
There was also heavy rain ahead of Monday night's game between Norway and
Senegal in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which started on time.
With France leading 1-0 at halftime, scoreboard messages directed the crowd at
Lincoln Financial Field to take shelter in the stadium's covered areas, warning
that a severe storm was on the way. Sheets of rain fell through halftime as
thousands of fans huddled in the concourse and under balconies.
The stoppage was initially expected to extend the halftime break by 15 minutes.
As the delay dragged on, stadium officials announced that "the game will resume
when deemed safe."
The teams returned to the field to warm up after about 1 hour, 40 minutes,
prompting cheers from the crowd. Crews used squeegees to push standing water
toward the sideline of the swampy field.
A rule used by FIFA pauses games for 30 minutes if lightning is detected within
8 miles. Each strike resets the clock.
France and Iraq played through a downpour that started in the 37th minute. Fans
donned ponchos and most stayed in their seats until they were told to find
shelter at halftime.
FIFA long had a reputation for continuing matches even through extreme weather.
A 2014 game between the U.S. and Germany continued in Brazil even after
torrential downpour that flooded parts of the surrounding city.
World Cup regulations do not specify weather conditions that would prompt a
delay to the start of matches or an interruption. However, the regulations say
"in the case of a match being abandoned as a result of force majeure after it
has already kicked off ... the match shall recommence at the minute at which
play was interrupted rather than being replayed in full, and with the same
scoreline."
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
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