England will face France in the World Cup third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday night, but the match could be delayed or suspended due to thunderstorms forecast to hit the city
England are set to take on France in the World Cup third-place play-off – but the game could face last-minute disruption due to potential thunderstorms.
The two teams meet in the fixture neither team is keen to contest at the Miami Stadium on Saturday evening (10pm UK time) after both lost their respective semi-final matches.
Thomas Tuchel’s England conceded twice late on to lose 2-1 to Argentina in Atlanta, while Didier Deschamps’ France produced a flat performance to get beaten 2-0 by Spain in Dallas.
But the game is at risk of being delayed or even suspended if play has already started with thunderstorms forecast to hit Miami near to kick-off. According to BBC’s weather outlook, it predicts “thundery showers and a moderate breeze” between three and five hours prior to kick-off between England and France.
Those timings may change as the fixtures draws nearer to kick-off, for better or worse for fans and those watching in England and around the world.
FIFA regulations dictate that play must be halted or postponed if lightning strikes within eight miles of the venue. The match can only restart once 30 minutes have elapsed since the final lightning bolt.
Several fixtures at this World Cup have already encountered similar postponements due to lightning and stormy conditions. England’s last-16 encounter with Mexico was pushed back by an hour owing to severe weather near the Azteca Stadium.
The forecast wouldn’t pose any problems in a completely enclosed venue like those in Dallas, Atlanta, Houston or Vancouver. Yet because the Miami ground doesn’t boast a fully retractable roof, the battle between England and France will be left vulnerable to the weather.
England have the opportunity to secure their best World Cup finish since 1966 by defeating Les Bleus, having previously lost both of their third-place matches against Italy and Belgium in 1990 and 2018 respectively.
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However, beleaguered manager Thomas Tuchel may find it challenging to motivate his squad for the match, given the devastating nature of their semi-final defeat to Argentina.
In the aftermath of the loss, he stated: “None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match. They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve that.
“Everyone plays to win the World Cup, but that’s how it is. We have one less day of recovery than France, but we will do it with professionalism.
“We’ll have to wait four years before participating in another World Cup. Reaching the semi-finals is already an achievement in itself, of course.
“Many great footballing nations are eliminated before the semi-finals. It’s an achievement, but nobody wants to hear that at the moment, myself included, because we’re very demanding of ourselves.”
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