Allianz Field preparing for cold weather USA-Honduras soccer match Wednesday

St. Paul’s Allianz Field will host the USA-Honduras World Cup qualifying soccer match on Wednesday night. The forecast calls for temperatures below zero, with kick-off set for 6:30 p.m.

We stopped by Allianz to speak with director of operations Sam Nolden. As you can imagine, there are challenges in preparing the field and stadium when it’s going to be freezing.

The Twin Cities is used to cold weather games. New Year’s Day when the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues met at Target Field, the air temp was negative six.

The playoff game between the Vikings and Seahawks at TCF Bank Stadium January 2016 also had the temperature six below, with a wind chill of 25 below. The Vikings also played the Bears at TCF Bank Stadium December 2010 with temperatures around zero.

Nolden, who used to work for the University of Minnesota in facility services, has leaned on some of his friends and contacts there for advice.