Steve Clarke Already Has a Plan if Brazil vs Scotland Gets Struck by Lightning in Miami
With a 30% chance of thunderstorms, Brazil's World Cup match could be halted by the US weather protocol. Clarke revealed he has a contingency strategy ready.
Miami could be the stage for more than football this Wednesday. The weather forecast for the Brazil vs Scotland clash, kick-off at 19:00 (Brasília time), comes with an extra ingredient: a risk of rain and thunderstorms, with a 30% chance during match time, according to specialist sites cited by ge. Temperatures are hovering around 30°C — heat and lightning, a combination that has already caused chaos at this World Cup.
Last Monday, France vs Iraq in Philadelphia was suspended due to a storm. It was the first time in World Cup history that the United States' weather protocol was triggered: any lightning strike within 13 kilometres of the stadium halts the match for 30 minutes. And if another bolt strikes, the clock resets from zero.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke is already keeping a close eye on the situation. "We have a contingency strategy and we know what we will do if that happens," he said on Tuesday. Clarke acknowledged the uncertainty of the scenario — "that delay can go on indefinitely" — but assured that his side would not be caught off guard.
Brazil themselves have already felt the impact of bad weather: the squad's flight to Florida was delayed by nearly three hours due to conditions in New Jersey, according to ge.
The context makes everything even more tense. It is the final round of the group stage, and every minute on or off the pitch could matter. Golmetria's model gives Brazil a 90.97% chance of advancing — but no number can resolve what a bolt of lightning at the wrong moment might complicate.
If Miami's skies decide to get involved, Clarke already has an answer. The question is: does Brazil?