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Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, will have a massive police presence during the rest of the Club World Cup this month, since the city seeks to avoid repetition of the almost important incident that resulted in 26 arrests last year.
The 2024 Copa América final saw a swarm of fans without tickets hurry at the doors for a match between Argentina and Colombia, leaving terrified and bloody fans while security struggled to contain the falling in love, while trying to enter.
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Fans try to enter the stadium in the midst of disturbances before the final match Copa America 2024 between Argentina and Colombia at the Hard Rock stadium on July 14, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Maddie Meyer/Getty images)
The videos showed some fans trying to climb through air ventilations to enter. The police had to lift the children worn by the barriers to prevent them from being crushed, while in other places the fans without tickets that could catch in a sad attempt to keep the treasures.
But things are different this summer.
“We have established extensive measures to protect fans, players and staff,” said the Sheriff of Miami-Dade, Rosie Cordero-Stutz, before the tournament. “The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s office is leading all security efforts for this global event.”
The changes made during the past year mean that fans for this tournament must pass through three separate control points that contain the entire campus before approaching the stadium. The steel fencing is set around the perimeter.
First it is a ticket check at the temporal doors, occupying large parts of the parking lot where the rear gate parties could generally take place. Then comes another airport style exam under the stores where the bags are checked by X -ray machines. Even flags must be approved.
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Police officers patrol the area while fans wait to enter the stadium before the Copa América final football match between Argentina and Colombia on Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Photo AP/Lynne Sladky)
Fans were able to get close to the stadium before the control points in the Copa América.
“When I was in the final, the security guards have just opened the door and began to miss the people,” said Edison Negron, a Boca Juniors fan from Puerto Rico, to The Associated Press when they described the scenes when fans crushed the barriers last year.
Miami-Dade County said at that time that a complete review would be made and that the scenes “cannot happen again.”
“There will be an important application of the application of the law and a security footprint in the stadium and its surroundings to guarantee the public safety of all events,” Det. Agemis Colome told the AP, while added that social networks were being monitored before the matches.
Preparations have included special training for a rapid deployment force as part of a response from multiple agencies to possible crowd problems.
“If things go south, we prepare for civil disturbances and rebel fans,” Sheriff’s office said in a publication on social networks.
A great police presence has been evident in both games played in Hard Rock so far: the first match of the Saturday tournament when a crowd of more than 60,000 saw Inter Miami against the Ahly and Monday’s game between Boca Juniors and Benfica against almost 56,000.
The police speak with fans outside the stadium before the final football match of the Copa América between Argentina and Colombia in Miami Gardens, Florida, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Photo AP/Lynne Sladky)
Patrol cars have parked along the interstatal outside the stadium and, on the grounds, the officers equipped with facial shields and protective clothing are in patrol.
FIFA said it had worked closely with stadium officials, state and federal agencies “to guarantee a solid presence of security.”
