Steve Clarke has put contingency plans in place should tomorrow night’s blockbuster against Brazil be hit by lightning storms, writes Keith Jackson in Florida. The Scotland manager arrived at the Miami Stadium to face the media as a series of bolts and claps of thunder lit up a heavy grey sky above.
Forecast Predicts Electrical Carnage
Local weather forecasters have predicted more electrical carnage will hit the area from around 7pm tomorrow night, which would be during the half-time interval of the mouthwatering Group C showdown. If those forecasts are correct anywhere within an eight-mile radius of the stadium, both sides will be ordered off the field for at least half an hour. A thunderstorm delay could go on for hours, which could mean another long night for Scotland fans back home tuning in for an 11pm kick-off time.
Previous Tournament Delay
On Monday night, France’s 3-0 win over Iraq in Philadelphia was held up for more than two hours while the players took shelter inside. That match had to be suspended during the half-time interval at 5:49pm ET. Play officially resumed at 8:00pm ET.
Clarke's Coping Strategy
Clarke said: “I think you saw the France game delayed by the weather and that was the first time it's happened in the tournament. So I think so far we have probably been a little bit lucky with the weather. Looking at the forecast tomorrow it is possible that there will be some rain disruptions. We have a strategy in mind on how to deal with it. Obviously you don’t know how long the delay is going to be. You have to wait 30 minutes after the last lightning strike and that can just roll on and on. If there is to be a delay then hopefully it can be a short one and, like I said before, we have got a coping strategy and an idea what we would do if that happened to us.”
