dailynewsnblog
Heavy rain, strong winds and the risk of lightning on Monday caused a significant weather delay in the World Cup match between France and Iraq in Philadelphia.
The heaviest rain arrived toward the end of the first half of the France-Iraq game, creating challenging conditions for soaked players and poncho-clad fans at Lincoln Financial Field.
With France up by 1-0 at halftime, fans were urged to seek shelter on stadium signage and FIFA announced a delay. The game resumed at 8 p.m. Eastern after a nearly two-hour delay.
Heavy rain persisted as players took the field to warm up for the second half, and grounds staff worked to remove the standing water that had pooled on the field during the storm. By the start of the second half, however, the weather had mostly cleared. France eventually won 3-0.
The storms also created uncertainty for the match between Norway and Senegal, which kicked off on time at 8 p.m. Eastern in East Rutherford, N.J., and ended in a 3-2 Norway victory.
Fans in ponchos and rain gear arrived at MetLife Stadium prepared for the wet conditions.
