Haiti National Football Team Routs New Zealand After 36-Minute Delay

The haiti national football team beat New Zealand 4-0 in Fort Lauderdale after kickoff was pushed back 36 minutes. The pre-World Cup friendly at Chase Stadium was set for 8pm ET on Tuesday night, then stopped by torrential rain and an electrical storm before play began at 8:36pm local time.

Chris Wood and Haiti

Chris Wood made his record-breaking 89th appearance for New Zealand in the match, but Haiti controlled the result once the teams finally got on the field. Haiti are ranked world number 82 and sit only three places higher than New Zealand in FIFA's rankings.

Officials judged the pitch unplayable because it was waterlogged, and lightning made the delay a safety issue. The conditions turned a standard warm-up into a weather break that delayed the first whistle before Haiti finished with four goals and New Zealand were left with another heavy loss.

Fort Lauderdale Weather Delay

The match also fit a wider pattern from summer soccer in the United States. Last summer's Club World Cup in the U.S. drew frequent weather warnings and delays, and Chelsea's last-16 tie with Benfica in Charlotte was pushed back for close to two hours after a lightning strike in the area.

For New Zealand, the result lands in the middle of Group G preparation with Iran, Egypt and Belgium ahead. Haiti's return to the World Cup for the first time in 52 years now comes with a clear form line attached to it: a 4-0 win, after a night that started with rain, lightning and a delayed kickoff.