Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca was packed and ready. The crowd was loud. The energy was exactly what you’d expect for a home country World Cup knockout match. But then the sky opened up.
Thunderstorms rolled in around game time, and officials made the call to push the start of Mexico’s Round of 32 match against Ecuador back by an hour. Instead of a 9 p.m. ET kickoff, the teams are now scheduled to take the pitch at 10 p.m. ET. The announcement came less than 30 minutes before the original start time, leaving fans scrambling to find cover in the stands or huddle under whatever they brought.
It’s not ideal. Weather delays never are. But for a Mexican side that has been through plenty of adversity already this tournament, an extra hour of waiting is probably low on the list of things that could rattle them. Mexico has been here before. They’ve got deep knockout stage experience, and a home crowd that is not going to quiet down just because of some rain.
Ecuador’s situation is different. This is just the second time they’ve played in a World Cup knockout round. The first was back in 2006, a loss to England. For a program still building its reputation on the global stage, a delay like this can mess with rhythm, especially against a host nation with the entire stadium behind them. But the team has not commented on the weather delay as of this writing.
The real question is how the field will hold up. Estadio Azteca has a drainage system that’s handled worse before, but heavy rain can still leave the surface slick and unpredictable. That could favor Mexico’s experience in controlling possession and tempo, or it could lead to the kind of mistakes that give an underdog a lifeline.
Both teams went through warmups before the rain really hit, then retreated to the locker rooms. Now they wait. The referees will decide when the field is ready, and fans will just have to stay patient a little longer. The match will still happen tonight. Just later than planned.
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