Shitshow.
That’s the most accurate word to describe last night’s failure of organizers to restrict and regulate the flow of humans into Hard Rock Stadium for the Copa América final between Colombia and Argentina. And it raises the question of whether the United States is ready to host the matches of a much bigger soccer tournament in two years, the World Cup.
In 2026, matches will be played in a variety of NFL venues. Last night’s disaster unfolded at the place where the Dolphins play.
Chaos at the gates prompted an 82-minute delay in the start of the match. Organizers and security tried to keep those without tickets out while allowing entry to those who had tickets to pass. Eventually, they gave up and let everyone in, to reduce the possibility of injury.
The opening of the floodgates triggered viral videos like this one showing fans lining up to crawl through ventilation ducts. It looked like something out of any of the various versions of The Poseidon Adventure.
Local authorities blamed CONMEBOL, soccer’s governing body in South America and the organizers of the event, for the situation.
“We are outraged by the unprecedented events at tonight’s Copa America finals,” Miami-Dade mayor Danielle Levine Cava and chief public safety officer James Reyes said in a joint statement, via TheAthletic.com. “The Copa América final is organized by CONMEBOL, and Miami-Dade Police Department provides security support along with other law enforcement agencies. . . . Tonight, MDPD assigned over 550 officers, including our Priority Response Team, to the stadium and is utilizing all possible resources to continue to ensure a safe experience for all attendees.”
It either wasn’t enough, or the resources weren’t used properly. Either way, it was a mess.
“Let’s be clear,” Cava and Reyes said, “This situation should never have taken place and cannot happen again.”
The situation affected the teams as well. Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo called it “anxiety-inducing” for the players.
“Imagine, from the locker room we were trying to communicate with family members, with friends, to see if they were in trouble or not, it was overwhelming,” Lorenzo said after the 1-0 Argentina win, via ESPN.com.
It was overwhelming and unacceptable. Previously, the biggest concern regarding the World Cup was the quality of the natural fields installed at stadiums where artificial turf is the surface of choice. It’s now clear that there needs to be plenty of work done when it comes to everything but the grass.
And the clock is ticking toward 2026.