The big day has finally arrived. Today is the day we will be witnessing Alex Morgan play the very last match of her celebrated career as the San Diego Wave will be locking horns against the North Carolina Courage. While numbers are expected to tune in for the NWSL clash, an unfortunate possibility is on the horizon to see the crucial game get postponed due to the extreme heat wave.

Summers are just around their peak in the western side of America. With that, a caution has been sent to the attendees at the San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium, including players and fans. Everyone shall brace themselves to face the scorching weather. Word of mouth comes from a grateful freelancer photojournalist David Frerker, who is also in the venue to cover the crucial day of Morgan’s life with his camera.

However, even though the match hasn’t begun, Frerker has a concerning message for everyone who is coming to the stadium. Taking to X, he wrote, “Unbelievably honored to be photographing Alex Morgan’s final career match today. If you guys are heading to Snapdragon make sure to hydrate it’s going to be very hot. I am headed back from a shoot at the beach at Friars Road and it’s already 95° at 9:30 AM.”

Indeed, it is a concerning message for everyone, who is coming to support Morgan for her final kick-off. Unfortunately, the apprehension doesn’t end here as there may arrive a situation where we may see the match get delayed. This comes from the rules created by the NWSL themselves.

Under the league’s extreme heat policy, if the air temperature is 90°F or higher and an Extreme Heat Warning, Watch, or Heat Advisory is issued, all WBGT readings must be reported to the League office. The referee will take a WBGT measurement 60 minutes before kickoff. If the reading is 92.3°F or above, the home team alerts the League, and a second reading is taken 45 minutes before the match.

If the temperature remains above 92.3°F, the match will be delayed. The game will only start or resume once conditions are deemed safe. Considering the weather conditions that David Frerker described earlier, we fear that the match may be delayed. Even if things would get normal, there shouldn’t be a surprise to see less attendance at Snapdragon Stadium today!

The heat wave may eat up the box office attendance to see Alex Morgan

The weather in San Diego, California is less than favorable, with reports indicating excessive heat in the area. At 91 degrees, it’s hardly an ideal time for fans to comfortably gather in a stadium to support Alex Morgan. Additionally, the former Orlando Pride star announced her retirement just three days prior. With such short notice, it’s not surprising that attendance for Morgan’s farewell game was lower than expected.

Also considering the significance of the match, many fans likely chose not to risk their health for what could be seen as a regular NWSL game. But that doesn’t mean we will get to witness empty stadiums. Ardent fans will flock to the stadium no matter what the conditions will remain. Regardless, for now, we shall hope that the extreme weather conditions don’t mar Alex Morgan’s farewell game.