Never mind the refereeing, let’s talk about the weather.
Sponge-quality humidity and rainforest deluges may be old hat to Brazilians, but it’s a new phenomenon for many of the other World Cup teams competing in Brazil. Friday’s Mexico-Cameroon match was so rainy that the players didn’t have to shower afterward. Not really, but it sure seemed that way, judging by the photos and footage:
Spectators sit under pouring rain as they watch the group A World Cup soccer match between Mexico and Cameroon in the Arena das Dunas in Natal, Brazil, Friday, June 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli watches his players as they train in the rain, in Mangaratiba, Brazil, Tuesday, June 10, 2014. Italy will play in group D of the Brazil 2014 soccer World Cup. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
In Manaus, where England and Italy face off in their opening matches of the tournament later Saturday (kick-off at 6 p.m. USEDT, 10 p.m. GMT), the heat and humidity “feel like a dryer full of damp clothes,” as the New York Times put it.
The Associated Press, meanwhile, has quoted locals in Manaus as joking that there are only two seasons in the city: summer and hell.
The Times goes on to report that the English players– accustomed to rain but at significantly lower temperatures and less humidity– undertook unusual training methods to prepare for the Manaus hothouse.
“To prepare for Manaus, England held a camp in Portugal and trained in gloves, hats and layers of clothes. At their own national training center, players rode exercise bikes in hothouse conditions. No word on whether they also took turns under the French-fry lamp at McDonalds.”
People run to take cover from the rain under the decorations of Santa Isabel Street, southern Manaus, one of the host cities of Fifa World Cup 2014, Amazonas state, Brazil, on June 11, 2014. AFP PHOTO/Raphael ALVES
England striker Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, was quoted by the Guardian as predicting a much slower game against the Italians, due to the heat. The Daily Mail says the English should quit their whinging, pointing out that, according to Bloomberg, Germany will face the worst weather conditions during the tournament:
“Bloomberg’s “discomfort” table for the opening group phase takes into account historical data from each World Cup host city, including average temperature, angle of the sun, cloud cover and humidity.The Germans, who face Portugal, Ghana and the U.S. in the first round, have the hottest and fourth most humid conditions, based on the dew point, the temperature at which water vapor in the air condenses into liquid.”
This photo featuring German midfielder Mesut Ozil after a training session in Santo Andre earlier this month may give some corroboration to that:
AFP PHOTO / PATRIK STOLLARZ
To be fair, there are plenty of other teams who come from similarly tropical condition: Cameroon, which lost to Mexico 0-1 on Friday, isn’t exactly Finland, where heat and humidity are concerned. Cote D’Ivoire, Nigeria, Colombia, Honduras, Costa Rica: players from these countries should theoretically be less fazed by heat and humidity. But let’s face it; a deluge makes for challenging conditions no matter where you’re playing. It’s just a matter of what other concerns you’re facing. Hypothermia, for example. Or heat exhaustion.
This caption in this photograph taken by The Associated Press gives a good explanation what the teams are facing in their competition around Brazil this month and next.
In this May 21, 2014 photo, a man rides his motorbike under a canopy of ribbons through a street decorated in honor of the upcoming 2014 World Cup, in Manaus, Brazil. While the forest fauna is largely absent from the metropolis itself, nature makes itself felt in the hothouse climate and the blooms of mold that envelop the low-slung concrete buildings. Humidity hovers around 80 percent year-round.
