SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Fans who attended Sunday's Colombia vs. Jordan soccer match at Snapdragon Stadium say they waited more than 2 hours to get through the gates, missing a significant portion of the international friendly.
The delays are raising questions about crowd management, security protocols, and whether the stadium was prepared for the size of the event.
Matthew Brosius, a soccer fan who was among those stuck outside the stadium, said he arrived early to tailgate and got in line about an hour before kickoff — but still missed nearly half of the game.
"We were just doing whatever we could to try and get some information to find out what was going on because the game had already started and we were unable to get in; it was just complete chaos," Brosius said.
Brosius said the lack of organization made the experience more than just an inconvenience.
"There was no organization, there was no communication with the fans as we were out there, and it could create as fans are paying thousands of dollars for World Cup tickets, thousands of dollars go in, and you're missing the first half, that's unacceptable," Brosius said.
He also raised concerns about security procedures during the rush to get fans inside.
"They actually didn't even have us go through the metal detector; they completely bypassed that, and there was no checking of bags, no checking of personnel," Brosius said.
A spokesperson for Snapdragon Stadium said entry delays were caused by a high volume of guests arriving during a short period before kickoff and said the stadium brought in additional resources to help process fans safely.
Brosius said that the explanation falls short.
"They knew that 28,000 tickets were sold. If you know that many tickets are being sold, you should have the staffing to appropriately scan that many tickets and screen that many people coming in," Brosius said.
The concerns come as Snapdragon Stadium is set to host soccer matches during the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics. Stadium officials said they conduct reviews after every major event and are looking at opportunities to improve while keeping safety a top priority.
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