A World Cup rain delay in Philly turned the stadium into a shopping spree
Mustafa Al-Hasani flew in from Iowa.
Despite the distance, the cost for his airfare, his weekend stay at a Center City hotel, and the cost of his lower-level ticket to the match, there was no way he was going to miss the opportunity to see Iraq, win or lose, take on France in the World Cup on Monday.
So when he got to his seat inside Philadelphia Stadium (Lincoln Financial Field, as it’s known to Philadelphians), after months of planning and waiting, after repeated screen refreshes to remain in a queue to buy during one of FIFA’s early ticket presales, even though he did all of the work, it still almost felt like serendipity.
And then the rains came.
The torrential downpour that cascaded on and off over the region halted the game for more than an hour, stalling matchplay. It also sent poncho-clad fans scattering into the concourses in search of shelter.
And in the aftermath, as it would appear, anything else they could get their hands on.
By the time the match, which started at 5 p.m., resumed play a little after 8 p.m. in what became a 3-0 France victory, concessions on the main concourse of the stadium had little to nothing left by way of food and drink.
» READ MORE: Philadelphia’s World Cup love affair shows just how far we’ve come
The popcorn and hot dog concession between Sections 104-105? Barren. The Philly Pretzel concession selling twists and nuggets a few sections down? A stadium worker said they sold out in about 30 minutes.
“People just kept coming,” one worker said, who chose to stay anonymous because they weren’t supposed to speak publicly on what their tired eyes just witnessed. “We had this pretty stocked, and that rain delay just cleared everyone out. It’s much the same at every concession stand, if you want to look.”
It’s what Al-Hasani released as he waded in for only a water. Fortunately, Philly Favorites concession between 104-106 was able to oblige.
“I get it,” Al-Hasani said. “There was nothing else to do. You know you’re down here, it’s hot, it’s tight [with people], you can’t go back to your seat because of the rain, so after the singing and the waiting and the singing, people got to do something, so you eat.”
Judging by the small FIFA team store just outside the southwest corner of the stadium, in addition to eating, fans at loose ends shop. By the look of the lines during the rain and the sight of the store after, fans made it a ravenous way to pass the time.
The store, which has capacity of about 15 customers, were giving people just five minutes in-store so they could offer other people an opportunity, according to a worker. By the time the game finished, shelves were barren, odd-sized jerseys remained on display, and only the high-priced World Cup collectibles in the glass behind the counter seemed the only thing in abundance for purchase.
“One guy came in, dropped $800 on one sale,” a worker recalled. “It was crazy. We see this kind [of frenzy] for like concert T-shirts here, like I remember people went wild for Taylor Swift stuff when she was here, but this was intense. It felt like people were buying whatever they could get their hands on.”
» READ MORE: Rain shuts down FIFA’s Fan Festival, but World Cup fans find creative ways to keep the fever going
A request for comment from FIFA regarding the rain and fans went unreturned. Despite many of the concession workers being the same folks you’d see on an Eagles game day — or apparently, a Taylor Swift concert — through its arrangement, FIFA has both naming rights and management of all 16 match venues across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Philadelphia was the only city that experienced a rain delay of this magnitude in the World Cup. In the end, it was France that scored twice more after halftime en route to the 3-0 win, advancing to the knockout stage.
But in the context of the whole night, it was the stadium’s concessions that mopped up. To many like Al-Hasani, it was the people working there who, he said, were the real winners.
» READ MORE: Philly has been called the ‘Paris of America.’ Here’s what French fans in town for the World Cup think.
“This was incredible, the whole experience is a memory,” Al-Hasani said. “The rain, the people, the game, all of it. You have to take it all in. Everyone was so nice, [at concessions] you got what you needed if they had it, and I think we were just all trying to get through it together. Philly’s great, I’ve been here before, but this is an experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget.”
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In this World Cup, underdogs are stealing the spotlight, the U.S. men are on a roll, and Philadelphia has not only welcomed the world but has given visitors a crash course on just how real the curse of the Rocky Statue can be.
Join Jonathan Tannenwald, the Inquirer’s soccer writer, and host Lisa Carlin, analyst for CBS Sports Golazo, as they dissect the matches, the moments, and more as Philly has its moment in soccer’s brightest spotlight. Watch our latest episode right here.