San Francisco-Miami, Jacksonville-Indy, New York Cosmos-Puerto Rico FC Games to Be Played at Later Date
The Caribbean has already been battered, including Puerto Rico, and while no one can tell for sure if this category 5 hurricane with 180 mph winds will make landfall on the US mainland, soccer games are being postponed due to Irma.
As Hurricane Irma approaches Florida, and people are bracing for how one of the most powerful Atlantic storms may impact their area, soccer games are being postponed.< v>
According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Irma has strengthened into an “extremely dangerous” Category 5 storm. Therefore, the North American Soccer League (NASL), Puerto Rico FC and the New York Cosmos made the decision to reschedule the game in the interest of fans, public, players and staff safety.
A makeup date for the Puerto Rico FC v NY Cosmos match has not been finalized at this time. The club will provide further updates in the upcoming days.
The matchup between the San Francisco Deltas and Miami FC, which was originally scheduled to be played on Saturday in San Francisco, has been postponed so that Miami’s players, coaches, and staff can be with their families during a time when dangerous weather conditions are expected in South Florida.
Another game scheduled for Saturday, a contest between Jacksonville Armada FC and Indy Eleven, has been postponed due to concerns over the weather in the Jacksonville area.
Earlier this week, Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in the state ahead of Hurricane Irma’s potential arrival this upcoming weekend.
“In any situation like this, our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our players, coaches, staff members, fans, and their families,” said NASL Interim Commissioner Rishi Sehgal. “We hope that everyone is able to stay safe during this difficult time.”
The Jacksonville-Indy game will now be played on Wednesday, September 27, at 8 p.m. ET. New dates have not yet been set for the San Francisco-Miami and Puerto Rico-New York games, but the clubs are working with the NASL League Office to finalize when the makeup games will be played.
As it stands, the only NASL matchup that will be played this weekend will be a Sunday clash between FC Edmonton and North Carolina FC at Clarke Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET and the game can be seen live on ESPN3 (U.S.) and NASL (Canada and rest of the world).
