It was a running joke that went on and on throughout FC Edmonton’s existence as a professional soccer team in this city. The weather could have been ideal all week long, but, soon before a Sunday kickoff at Clarke Stadium, the weather would change. Heavy rain. Snow. Windstorms. Mother Nature would make being outside for two hours as uncomfortable as possible.

Former FC Edmonton coach Colin Miller would jokingly call it “Scottish barbecue weather.”

From the frigid temperatures for Canada’s two “Iceteca” World Cup qualifiers at Commonwealth Stadium back in 2021, to a Women’s World Cup game in 2015 that had a thunderstorm delay, soccer events have been about as lucky as the Folk Fest when it comes to escaping nasty weather.

So maybe colour us totally unsurprised that Environment Canada on Saturday morning upgraded its call for steady rain to a ‘yellow’ rainfall warning, with heavy downpours expected in the evening, continuing into Wednesday morning, with totals for the Edmonton area of between 50 and 100 millimetres. Monday’s expected high is a meagre 11 C with 9 C in the evening, when Canada’s men’s national team is scheduled to take on Uzbekistan in a nearly sold-out World Cup sendoff match at Commonwealth Stadium.

And how will that temporary grass pitch they dropped into Commonwealth hold up under this coming deluge?

With many of the seats being uncovered, fans should be armed with rain gear and be prepared to bundle up. But remember that umbrellas with pointed ends, or any umbrellas larger than 16 inches, are forbidden.

Of course, getting to what will be a packed stadium on a Monday night can be a daunting task, but if you have a match ticket or pass, ETS is free for you to use after 5 p.m. that day. The free-with-ticket rides continue until two hours after the final whistle.

There will be park and ride sites, as well. Direct shuttle buses to Stadium Station will be available.

Where to find the park-and-ride sites:

Eaux Claires Transit Centre: 97 Street and 157 Avenue
Lewis Farms Transit Centre: 1021 Webber Greens Dr. (location has limited parking spots due to Valley Line West LRT construction)
NAIT Parkade, Lots A/B and D: 109 Street and 118 Avenue (Parking costs $6 per vehicle at this location)
Naki Transit Centre, St. Albert: 15520 Campbell Rd.
Churchill Square: Northbound stop at 100 Street and 102 Avenue (Stop #1246)

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