Soccer-Club World Cup clash halted because of storm threat
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., (Reuters) -The Club World Cup clash between Al Ahly of Egypt and Brazil's Palmeiras was halted after an hour's play at the MetLife Stadium on Thursday because of an expected storm, the second time a match has been interrupted in the tournament due to the weather.
Referee Anthony Taylor told the teams to leave the pitch immediately after Palmeiras had taken a 2-0 lead in their Group A clash after advice from a pitchside official.
Repeated announcements over the stadium public address system told the public to leave their seats and take shelter inside the stadium concourse because of the threat of 'severe weather' although fans were slow to move out.
The start of the Group F match in Orlando on Tuesday between South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan of South Korea was delayed by 65 minutes because of the threat of lightning.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Toby Davis)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Auckland City's Club World Cup participation is a privilege with a price
MIAMI: Adam Mitchell knows he is going to lose money this month. The Auckland City defender left his job selling houses in New Zealand to take part in the Club World Cup, where the eventual champions will pocket a staggering US$125 million — while his semi-professional team plays on for pride and an appearance fee still under negotiation. "My business runs on a commission basis only," Mitchell told Reuters on Thursday after his side's humbling 10-0 defeat to European giants Bayern Munich at the expanded Club World Cup. "If I'm not back working, there's no income coming in. But a tournament like this, you have to be willing to make sacrifices and that's what a lot of us have done." The Club World Cup's new, lucrative format has attracted criticism for its schedule congestion at the end of a long European season. Mitchell and his teammates, many of whom work as teachers, delivery drivers, and tradesmen, are effectively paying out of their own pockets for the privilege of competing on this stage. It is not just Mitchell's earnings that are taking a hit. New Zealand's labour laws typically grant around four to five weeks of annual leave per year — most of which, for Auckland's players, was already used up during last year's Oceania qualifying tournament. "The players that went to the qualification for this tournament, well, we played in the Solomon Islands. That was three weeks," Mitchell explained. "Some people have run out of annual leave. People are kind of in negative days and taking unpaid leave. So, it's nice for people to know the sacrifices we make to be here." While the tournament offers prize money tiers based on performance, Auckland City, representing one of football's smallest confederations, will receive the lowest payout - a fraction of the $3.58 million meant for Oceania. Even that amount, Mitchell noted, is still subject to ongoing negotiations between the club and New Zealand Football. NO MERCY On the pitch, the gulf between part-time semi-professionals and global superstars was on brutal display. Bayern Munich, ranked among the world's elite, named a starting 11 packed with internationals, showing no mercy en route to a double-digit victory. "Conceding 10 goals isn't a nice feeling," Mitchell admitted. "But I think we have to realise the calibre of team and calibre of players we were up against. "The fact that they did put their strongest team out and they didn't take the pedal off the metal at all. They just kept going and going and going, which, it's not great for us, but in a way that's a sign of respect." The heavy defeat has not dampened spirits within the Auckland camp. With two more games to play in their group against Benfica and Boca Juniors, Mitchell said he and his teammates are determined to leave their mark. "If you watched the (Bayern) game, you could see we never give up regardless of the scoreline," he said. Back home, Mitchell juggles the demands of a commission-based real estate job with evening training sessions and coaching duties at the club. His typical day starts early, squeezing in gym sessions before work, and ends late at night after training. "It's not ideal for my wife," he joked. "I don't get to see her that often, but she really respects the fact that this is a sacrifice that we have to make and she also has to make. "(For her) just seeing myself and the whole team on the stage and obviously against the best players in the world, I think it's a really proud moment." Mitchell admits that while the financial hit stings, the exposure could pay off in other ways. "Maybe if someone was watching on TV and they realised I was in the industry, maybe they just want to have a chat and that's the way you can build some rapport," he said. To the critics who have questioned the inclusion of Auckland City in a competition of this scale, Mitchell remains unapologetic. "We don't bother too much about critics. We've earned the right to be here. People have to realise we are semi-professionals, but we do treat training and we treat our club like a professional club, with the resources we have," said Mitchell, whose side face Benfica on Friday.
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Palmeiras ease past Al Ahly in Club World Cup
EAST RUTHERFORD, United States: Palmeiras drew first blood in Club World Cup Group A with a 2-0 victory over Al Ahly on Thursday in New Jersey. Lionel Messi's Inter Miami face Porto later on in the group's other clash after two goalless draws in the first round of fixtures. The match was suspended in the 63rd minute because of a weather warning, with players and fans at the MetLife Stadium instructed to "take shelter" because of a nearby storm. Palmeiras were leading by two goals at the time, with a Wessam Abou Ali own goal sending the Brazilians ahead in the 49th minute before Flaco Lopez doubled their lead on the Egyptians 10 minutes later. Victory took Palmeiras provisionally top on four points, with the other three sides level on one point each. It was the third match at the tournament affected by adverse weather at the tournament. On Tuesday Mamelodi Sundowns game against Ulsan HD was suspended just before kick-off for just over an hour due to a weather alert. Then on Wednesday RB Salzburg' s match against Pachuca was suspended in the second half for 97 minutes because of a storm. Palmeiras, led by talented youngster Estevao Willian, who is set to join Chelsea, played well but were held by Porto in their opening clash. Al Ahly kept them at bay in a tight first half, in which English referee Anthony Taylor sent off Palmeiras midfielder Raphael Veiga for a foul on Ahmed Zizo, before overturning his decision following a VAR review. Palestinian striker Abou Ali headed Anibal Moreno's free-kick into his own net to hand Palmeiras the lead. Lopez finished coolly for the Brazilians' second after Mauricio played him through on goal. After the suspension of around 45 minutes for the weather warning, Palmeiras played out the remainder of the match comfortably without risking their advantage. South American sides have come into the tournament strongly, in good condition given they are in the middle of their domestic seasons, and have stayed unbeaten to this point.--AFP
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Explainer-NBA-Breaking down the Buss family's sale of LA Lakers at $10-billion valuation
Jeanie Buss, President of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks during the permanent placement of late Kobe Bryant's handprints and footprints in the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo (Reuters) -The Buss family, architects of 11 NBA championships, is poised to relinquish their four-decade reign over the LA Lakers, with ESPN reporting they are entering an agreement to sell a majority stake in basketball's most glamorous franchise. The following is the breakdown of the deal: WHAT IS AT STAKE? Lakers minority owner Mark Walter is set to take majority ownership in a deal valuing the Lakers at about $10 billion, making it the most expensive U.S. sports team valuation in history. The deal will end family control of the Lakers. The Buss family will retain a minority share of just over 15% for a period of time after the deal, ESPN reported, bringing to a close its stewardship of a franchise that became synonymous with Hollywood allure and championship excellence. Reuters could not immediately ascertain what Walter's new stake in the team would be. He purchased a minority stake in the Lakers with Todd Boehly in 2021. The previous record for biggest sports deal was held by the Boston Celtics, who agreed in March to be sold for $6.1 billion. WHO ARE THE LAKERS? The Lakers are one of the most storied franchises in National Basketball Association history. The team was valued at $7.1 billion by Forbes last year, behind only the Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks in the NBA. They are the second-most successful NBA team with 17 championships. The Celtics have 18. Jerry Buss, who bought the Lakers for $67.5 million in 1979, transformed them into one of the most well-known franchises in professional sports. The team won five championships during the celebrated "Showtime" era of the 1980s. The Lakers have LeBron James, arguably the league's biggest star, on their roster. They also snapped up Slovenian Luka Doncic in a high-profile trade with the Dallas Mavericks in February. WHO IS MARK WALTER? Walter is a 65-year-old American billionaire businessman who is CEO and chairman of holding company TWG Global. He is also CEO of investment firm Guggenheim Partners. Walter, whose net worth is listed as $6.1 billion by Forbes, has owned the LA Dodgers baseball team since 2012. He is adding the Lakers to a sporting portfolio that includes stakes in the Cadillac Formula One team, the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and English Premier League soccer club Chelsea. WHO ARE THE BUSS FAMILY? Jerry Buss's 66% stake in the Lakers was passed on to his six children via a family trust after his death in 2013. Buss died at the age of 80 due to kidney failure. His daughter, Jeanie, took over as principal owner after his death and is set to continue as team governor, maintaining a family connection to the purple-and-gold empire her father built. WHICH ARE SOME OTHER NOTABLE SPORTS DEALS? The Celtics set the previous benchmark in NBA sale valuations after agreeing to a $6.1-billion sale to a group headed by private equity firm Symphony Technology Group co-founder William Chisholm in March. The NFL's Washington Commanders sold for $6.05 billion in July 2023, in a deal that, at the time, was the biggest for a North American sports franchise. Also in 2023, British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe finalised a deal to acquire a minority stake in Manchester United that valued the English soccer club at $6.3 billion. In 2022, former owner Roman Abramovich sold English soccer club Chelsea to a consortium led by Boehly that included Walter, for about $3.2 billion. WHEN IS THE LEAGUE EXPECTED TO APPROVE AND FINALISE THE LAKERS SALE? Final approval of the sale could take several months. The Celtics' sale has yet to receive final approval from the NBA Board of Governors. The Board is scheduled to meet in July in Las Vegas, though that session is expected to focus primarily on potential league expansion plans. (Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru;Editing by Rod Nickel)
