MIAMI — Almost a year since the Copa America final nearly ended in tragedy, big numbers of soccer fans are back at Hard Rock Stadium — this time for the Club World Cup with heightened security.
A combined crowd of nearly 120,000 supporters have watched the opening two games staged in Miami. They have been greeted by extra checkpoints and a heavy police presence.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office says lessons have been learned from July of last year when ticketless fans rushed the gates at the home of the Miami Dolphins for a match between Argentina and Colombia, leaving fans terrified and bloodied as security struggled to contain the crush.
The match was delayed an hour, children were in tears and concerns were sparked ahead of two more years of major soccer tournaments being staged in the United States — the Club World Cup this summer and the men’s World Cup in 2026.
This tournament is an early gauge as to how the U.S. will handle fans from 48 countries visiting next year’s World Cup. There has been understandable focus on Miami after the shocking scenes at the Copa America when fans from a sellout crowd were too easily able to force their way into the 65,000-seat Hard Rock Stadium.
“We’ve put extensive measures in place to protect fans, players and staff,” Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said before the tournament. “The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is leading all security efforts for this global event.”
Last year, police had to lift distressed children over barriers to avoid them being crushed, while elsewhere officers tackled to the ground the ticketless fans they could catch in a forlorn attempt to keep the hoards at bay.
Videos showed some fans trying to climb through air vents to gain entry.
Changes made over the past year mean fans for this tournament must pass through three separate checkpoints that enclose the entire campus before getting close to the stadium. Steel fencing is set up around the perimeter.
First up is a ticket check at temporary gates, taking up large parts of the parking lot where tailgate parties might usually take place. Then comes another airport-style screening under tents where bags are checked by X-ray machines. Even flags need to be approved.
Fans were able to get much closer to the stadium before checkpoints at the Copa America.
“When I was at the final, the security guards just opened the gate and started letting people through,” Edison Negron, a Boca Juniors fan from Puerto Rico told The Associated Press when describing the scenes as fans crushed against the barriers last year.
Miami-Dade County said at the time that a full review would be conducted and that the scenes “cannot happen again.”
“There will be a significant law enforcement and security footprint in and around the stadium to ensure public safety for all the events,” Det. Argemis Colome told the AP while adding social media was being monitored prior to matches.
Preparations have included special training for a rapid-deployment force as part of a multi-agency response to potential crowd trouble.
“If things go south, we get ready for civil unrest and unruly fans,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post.
A large police presence has been evident at both games played at Hard Rock so far — Saturday’s tournament opener when a crowd of more than 60,000 watched Inter Miami vs. Al Ahly and Monday’s match between Boca Juniors and Benfica in front of nearly 56,000.
Patrol cars have been stationed along the interstate outside of the stadium and, within the grounds, officers equipped with face shields and protective clothing are on patrol.
FIFA said it had worked closely with stadium officials, state and federal agencies “to ensure a robust security presence.”
A 2-2 draw between Argentine giant Boca and Benfica of Portugal was the first match at the stadium involving a large number of traveling fans.
FIFA said Boca was the first team to sell out tickets for its three group stage matches, with fans of the 35-time Argentine champion dominating the crowd. No major altercations were reported. Boca plays a second match at Hard Rock against Bayern Munich on Friday.
While only so much can be drawn from two games that have been below capacity, the extra safeguards put in place have been evident, with, as of yet, no repeat of the chaotic scenes at the Copa America.
AP reporter Andres Jaime-Mendez contributed from Miami