By Iain Axon, Gabriel Araujo and Sebastian Rocandio
KANSAS CITY, Missouri, June 19 (Reuters) – Kansas City on Friday sought to reassure fans after the smallest U.S. World Cup host city had plenty of action off the pitch in recent weeks, from a highway shooting and severe weather warnings to transport disruptions.
The Midwestern hub, hosting six matches including a quarter-final, has found itself juggling more than soccer as it also serves as a base for Argentina, England, the Netherlands and Algeria, drawing thousands of fans into the region.
“I think overall it’s been a great, safe experience here in Kansas City. We look forward to that continuing,” Pam Kramer, the chief executive of KC2026, a non-profit overseeing the city’s strategy, told Reuters.
Kansas City, whose metropolitan area is home to 2.5 million people, emerged as a World Cup hotspot thanks to world-class training facilities and a central location that made it a natural choice for teams wanting to limit travel times.
HIGHWAY SHOOTING
As Argentina eased to a 3-0 win against Algeria in the first match hosted by Kansas City, authorities said a man carried out a series of shootings along Interstates 670 and 70 within a 30-minute span, killing one person and injuring four others.
Among those caught up was an Uber driver ferrying fans to the match, but police said there was no indication the attacks were linked to the World Cup.
The incident followed an already unsettled lead-up to the tournament, as days before kickoff nine people sustained non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting near England’s base camp.
“I’m really confident in our law enforcement partners,” Kramer said. “Anytime there’s an incident, that’s unfortunate, we really want to make sure our law enforcement workers are pursuing that, and they are.”
TRANSPORT DISRUPTIONS
Fans also complained of transport disruptions slowing access ahead of the Argentina v Algeria match, saying heavy traffic and crowds forming at entrances caused gridlock around the stadium. Some 69,000 people attended the match.
“We understand some fans had a less-than-perfect experience and that’s not what we want,” Kramer said, adding the city had worked with FIFA and the stadium to solve those issues for upcoming matches.
Kansas City will next host Ecuador against Curacao in Group E on Saturday.
“I think we had a pretty big test right out of the gate with Argentina and on a weekday, when people are driving for business traffic,” she said. “So we’ll get that worked out and make sure we can deliver the experience that they expect.”
WEATHER PROTOCOLS
Severe weather added another layer of disruption last week, when a tornado warning was issued just hours after England arrived, with sirens sounding and authorities urging residents to take shelter as winds of up to 80 miles per hour were forecast.
Kramer said the stadium and the FIFA Fan Fest have lightning protocols in place if needed.
(Reporting by Iain Axon, Gabriel Araujo and Sebastian RocandioEditing by Christian Radnedge)
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