Just days after an hour-long weather delay at the Estadio Azteca, England face a new threat from mother nature: a potential thunderstorm in Miami, where they are set to face Norway in the World Cup quarter-final on Saturday. The weather forecasts in the United States have become an exact science – and England boss Thomas Tuchel is following them closely. Currently, temperatures stand at around 33 degrees with the threat of a thunderstorm, but it is not due to hit when England play Norway at 6pm local time. One thing is for certain: the Football Association are tuned into the forecasts after the hour-long delay in Mexico City.
That delay was prompted partly by fan safety concerns: four fans died in crushes after Mexico’s previous game with Ecuador. FIFA even tried to bring the kick-off forward, though the game eventually started an hour late. England’s players arrived at the Azteca just over an hour and a half before the match because they had timed their movements precisely. Despite the old stadium's small dressing rooms, it has adapted warm-up areas with exercise bikes, recovery zones and fluid stations. Players stretched and spun their legs, ready to do the same in Miami if needed.
“England braced for storm threat in Miami quarter-final after weather delays in Mexico City.”
This is not England’s first weather disruption this summer. Before the World Cup, a huge storm hit Orlando ahead of their friendly with Costa Rica, causing a lengthy delay. Then, England’s players stayed in their nearby hotel and only arrived at the stadium when the storm was passing. The experience has made the squad well-versed in handling interruptions.
The beauty of this part of the world, according to those involved, is the reliability of weather apps – they tracked the Mexico City weather so accurately that it allowed precise timing. Now, the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami is modern and set up for delays, much like Charlotte’s MLS stadium, where Chelsea’s Club World Cup tie with Benfica was held up by nearly two hours and finished 4 hours and 38 minutes after it started. Charlotte is a hotspot for extreme weather, and England’s training base in Kansas City is another real hot spot. The squad includes Chelsea’s Reece James, who experienced that Charlotte delay and used exercise bikes to keep warm.
The experience in Mexico City has turned weather preparation into a critical part of England’s tournament strategy – one that could prove decisive if storms roll in over Miami. For now, the forecast holds, but England will not take any chances.