Weather at Open Cup semifinals match doesn’t dampen Sporting KC fans’ moods

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - On Tuesday, soccer fans flocked to Children’s Mercy Park for the U.S. Open Cup semifinal showdown between Sporting KC and Indy Eleven.

“I’m really excited for tonight’s game,” said Porter Strand.

Storms made their way through the area as fans were walking into the stadium.

“Well, it’s kind of stormy and it’s really exciting,” said Elijah Jones. “I’m going to cheer super loud.”

The mood wasn’t dampened among fans, however.

“Not at all!” said Ross Harris of whether the storms were an issue for fan support. “Why would it? I mean, it’s soccer. You can play in the rain and you can watch in the rain.”

“Despite the rain, we are going to have a fun time tonight,” said Emily Harris. “We are excited. It’s going to be a great time.”

Some fans showed up to the game sporting ponchos and rain jackets, while others chose to brave the elements.

“You never really know what you’re going to get in Kansas, but we are just happy to be here and be at the game,” said Sadie Roubinek . “We’ll be here rain or shine.”

With a heat advisory issued for the day, Children’s Mercy Park allowed fans to bring in one up to 20-ounce water bottle to the stadium. Umbrellas, however, are a prohibited item, leaving some to decide between walking back to their cars to put the umbrellas away or just throw them away.

As the weather pushed back kick-off to 9:44 p.m., Sporting KC offered fans $10 in complimentary SportingPay.

For some fans, like Stephan Blaakman, the weather reminded him of home; he flew in from out of state to enjoy the game with his dad.

“Yeah I came from from Spokane, Washington,” said Blaakman. “Here all that way just for the game, so I am looking forward to it. Semifinals here we go!”

“We’re both soccer players,” said his dad, Derek Blaakman. “We played our whole life. This is soccer weather.”

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