Union’s Open Cup game vs. New York Red Bulls postponed due to thunderstorms

The Union’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal match against the New York Red Bulls was postponed after storm cells rolled through the Philadelphia area Wednesday night.

The game entered into a lightning delay shortly after 7 p.m., just after the singing of the national anthem concluded. Though storms hadn’t hit the stadium yet at that point, it was clear they were nearby, and they arrived around 7:40.

It did not take long for the storms to become severe, with thunder, lightning, and rain that flooded Subaru Park’s pitch and the nearby practice fields. But the decision to officially postpone did not come until 8:45 p.m., when the rain only slightly lessened for a moment.

The game was rescheduled to Aug. 13, the only free date that both teams have before the Open Cup semifinals in mid-September. U.S. Soccer organizes the tournament, not MLS, but is still at the mercy of the league’s schedule.

Between regular-season games and the Leagues Cup — which the Red Bulls are in this year, while the Union aren’t — the new date is the only one the before the Sept. 16 Open Cup semifinals that both teams have free.

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The Union said that tickets purchased for Wednesday’s game will be honored on the new date, and parking purchased will be too. A statement from the team asked fans to keep their receipts as proof of purchase. Any further questions can be sent by email to [email protected].

Coincidentally, these teams’ regular-season game at Subaru Park is scheduled for Saturday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). Saturday’s weather forecast is the same as it usually is at this time of year, humid with high temperatures in the 80s, but at least the prediction is for a lesser chance of storms.

And as it turns out, Aug. 13 is three days before the teams meet again at Sports Illustrated Stadium, formerly known as Red Bull Arena, the Red Bulls’ home in Harrison, N.J.