SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego is getting a taste of the World Cup, and with it came massive crowds — and long waits.
Lines stretched around Snapdragon Stadium Sunday, as fans gathered for the FIFA World Cup friendly match between Jordan and Colombia. Some people waited hours to get inside, with the game already underway by the time many reached the gates.
The excitement for the match had been building, but for those standing in line, frustration grew as the lines stopped moving after the game kicked off.
"By the time we get in there, it'll probably be halftime," one fan said.
Hundreds stood on the sidewalk waiting to reach the gates. One attendee described the scene at the east gate.
"So, we got here probably a little after 3 o'clock and we were waiting in line at the east gate," the fan said.
"And it was pretty chaotic, so I was keeping these guys close and we crept our way towards the front of the line and suddenly I could see just from my height that the gates were closed, but there was no communication at all," the fan said.
Snapdragon Stadium released a statement addressing the delays.
"We are aware there were delays at the entry gates for today's match. Additional resources were deployed in real time to support a safe and efficient entry process. We appreciate our guests' patience as we worked to expedite access into the venue," the stadium said.
But patience wore thin for some fans still stuck outside.
"3:15, it stopped. Nothing was flowing. We're waiting in line... It's 4:37. The game started already," a fan said.
Some were frustrated with how the situation was handled.
"The stadium has been around long enough that they should know how to do crowd control before a game," one fan said.
The crowd was a mix of locals and international visitors. For some San Diegans, the moment carried a sense of pride.
"The FIFA could choose anywhere and they choose San Diego to have one of the spots for their games, so that's, that's special for San Diego," one local fan said.
Others had traveled far to be there.
"No, I, I came from Jordan, especially to watch this game," one attendee said.
Despite missing part of the action, some fans kept their spirits up once they finally made it inside.
"Missing some of the game, but I mean we're still here to support our family and our team," one fan said.
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