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| Photo capture=더선 |
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| Orando Inter&co Stadium (Orando, USA) / 2025 FIFA Club World Cup / Ulsan HDFC vs Mamelodi Sundowns FC / Suspended by lightning / Photo by Kim Jung-soo |
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| Reuters Yonhap News |
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[New Jersey (USA) = Sports Chosun Reporter Kim Sung-won] The Club World Cup, which was ambitiously reorganized by FIFA, is suffering from bad weather. There are also high voices of concern about the 2026 North Korea-China World Cup, which is a year away.
The second Group C match between Benfica (Portugal) and Oakland City (New Zealand) at Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on the 21st (Korea time) was directly hit by bad weather. Heavy rain and storms in the second half delayed the game for more than two hours. This is the fourth suspension of the tournament.
Benfica won the game 6-0, but Bruno Laz said it was the longest game of my career, and I'd like to thank the fans for supporting the team for five hours. We played to the best of our ability. But it was really hard because of the weather."
Ulsan HD suffered its first damage at this stadium. In the first Group F match against Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) on the 18th, players withdrew to the locker room just before kickoff due to lightning forecast just before kickoff. The game only started after 65 minutes.
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| Reuters Yonhap News |
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The first Group H match between Salzburg (Austria) and Pachuca (Mexica) in Cincinnati, Ohio, was also suspended for 90 minutes, and the second Group A match between Faumeiras (Brazil) and Al Ahli (Egypt) in New Jersey also stopped for 40 minutes during the second half.
According to U.S. safety regulations, lightning strikes within 8 miles (13 kilometers) will be postponed for 30 minutes. If there is no lightning strike for half an hour, the game will resume. After waiting for 30 minutes, if another lightning strike occurs, you have to wait another 30 minutes.
Foreign media such as Britain's 『BBC" as well as"The Sun" reported on the same day that there are growing concerns about the 2026 World Cup as the Club World Cup suffered great damage due to bad weather. The North Korea-China World Cup will be co-hosted by Canada and Mexico with the U.S. at the center.
It's not just lightning strikes. The heat wave is causing anxiety. The maximum temperature is forecast to reach 41 degrees Celsius next week, prompting warnings that both players and fans could be exposed to serious danger.
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| Reuters Yonhap News |
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There are already complaints coming out. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who lost 1-3 to Flamengo (Brazil) in the second Group D match, said, `It is not easy because of the high temperature. I'm going to try to rotate the players." Atletico Madrid's Marcos Llorente was beaten 0-4 by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the first leg of Group B. My nails as well as my toes hurt. I can't believe it."
FIFA said in a statement that "the top priority is the health of everyone who participates in football, and FIFA medical professionals are in regular contact with participating clubs for heat management and adaptation." he said.
The Club World Cup is currently in a war against the weather. Hong Myung-bo, who has advanced to the World Cup finals for 11 consecutive times, also needs to prepare for the weather, not an option.
New Jersey (USA) = Reporter Kim Sung-won newsme@sportschosun.com
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
