Martin Rogers
FOX Sports activities Insider
DORTMUND, Germany — Germany’s Spherical of 16 conflict with Denmark was sensationally — although briefly — stopped on Saturday evening after Dortmund was besieged by a torrential climate storm.
With simply over half an hour of the primary half performed, and the groups nonetheless scoreless, lightning and thunder lashed the sphere and brought on referee Michael Oliver to order the groups to go again to their locker rooms.
Heavy climate had been predicted however the extent of the storm, with hailstones quickly pelting the stadium roof and inflicting a deafening sound, took organizers without warning.
[Germany vs. Denmark live updates]
As confusion reigned, an announcement was posted on the stadium board, in German, Danish, then English. “As a consequence of antagonistic climate situations, the match has been suspended,” it learn. “Additional info will observe shortly.”
Inside minutes, the realm round Manuel Neuer and Kasper Schmeichel’s respective targets have been sodden. Followers on the decrease sections of the stands sought refuge larger up as the weather worsened.
Stadium workers tried to clear flooded concrete areas simply behind the sphere, whereas a number of Denmark followers danced topless within the rain close by.
Earlier, host nation Germany had been in type management, bombarding the Denmark purpose and making a sequence of early probabilities. Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala each went shut, with Schmeichel pressured right into a pair of good saves.
Nico Schlotterbeck, coming into the facet to switch the suspended Jonathan Tah, thought he had put his workforce forward after 4 minutes, however his header was dominated out for a foul.
The winner of the conflict performs Spain or Georgia within the quarterfinal.
The gamers reemerged at 9:56 p.m. native time, after being off for round 24 minutes. They have been permitted a brief warm-up, with workers persevering with to carry out restore work on the grass till moments earlier than the resumption.
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports activities. Comply with him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the each day e-newsletter.
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