World Cup live updates: Miami hosts Cape Verde vs. Uruguay. Here’s what to know

South Florida is hosting its second FIFA World Cup match with Uruguay and Cape Verde scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium (which has been renamed Miami Stadium and stripped of all non-FIFA corporate branding for the duration of the five-week tournament).

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The Miami Herald will keep you updated on what is going on inside the stadium as soon as the gates open in this live updates blog.

Thousands of fans rally ahead of match

The rest of the world was just introduced to Cape Verde’s plucky World Cup team and its 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinho, but Cape Verdeans in the diaspora have been fans of the Tubaroes Azuis (Blue Sharks) for a long time.

Vozinho made seven huge saves to hold European champion Spain scoreless in their tournament opener, and within a few days his Instagram following had grown from 40,000 to 14.6 million.

“I am so happy that he got what he deserves, known worldwide now, almost 15 million [Instagram] followers,” said Djamila Dossantos, 28, of Boston, who traveled to Miami for Sunday’s game against Uruguay at Hard Rock Stadium (renamed Miami Stadium during the World Cup due to FIFA sponsor rules).

“We have a lot of pressure on him now to really perform and show us what he’s got again, but I think he’s been amazing. For the first time on Instagram, they made somebody famous who deserves it. I knew about him before, but honestly, with that game against Spain, they shocked the world and we’re here to shock them again.”

Dossantos was born in Cape Verde and came to the United States when she was eight years old. She still has family there and feels a deep connection with the island nation of the West African coast. Her friends who joined her were from Boston and Rhode Island, both of which have strong Cape Verdean communities.

They arrived at the stadium at 3 p.m. and gathered with thousands of fans in the Fan Zone on a sunny, sweltering Father’s Day. The Cape Verdeans, in dark blue and red, were heavily outnumbered by Uruguayans decked head to toe in sky blue and white, but they said they have faith their team could pull another surprise.

“We’re a small island, maybe only 1 percent of the fans, but we have 99 percent faith,” said Carla B. Monteiro, a Cape Verdean who lives in Rhode Island.

Uruguayan fans, meanwhile, believed their team would play better on Sunday than it did in a frustrating 1-1 opening tie against Saudi Arabia and that they would celebrate a much-needed victory over the underdog Cape Verde.

A win against Cape Verde would all but guarantee Uruguay’s advancement to the Round of 32. A loss would place severe pressure on them heading into a difficult group finale against Spain.

“I think Uruguay will use a different lineup than they did against Saudi Arabia, we will play like we did in the second half against Saudi Arabia, and we come out with a big win,” said Matilde Pollo, who traveled to the match from Tacuarembo, Uruguay.

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Hernan Mesa, who was born in Uruguay but moved to Atlanta 26 years ago, added: “I think Cape Verde will do what they did against Spain, will try to defend for a tie, but Uruguay will find a way to get past them and score. We need to win because Spain won and we want to be first in the group.”

Mesa and his family have been in South Florida for 10 days and attended the game against Saudi Arabia, as well.

— MICHELLE KAUFMAN

Here’s what to know about tonight’s match

The breakout star of the Cape Verde team will have his mother at Sunday’s match after all — despite visa issues that initially blocked her from the U.S.

Read the story: Cape Verde hero Vozinha gets visa aid so mother can attend Uruguay game in Miami

If you have a ticket

To start, we have a comprehensive guide with everything you need to know about today’s match for those that have a ticket with tips getting to the stadium, parking, what kind of bags you can bring inside, what kind of instruments, flags and signs you can bring into the stadium — anything you can think of.

Important info for ticketholders who also purchased a parking pass: In addition to the electronic pass you received, you must print and display the pass included in e-mail on your windshield. Only cars with this pass can access roads near the stadium. So, you will need an electronic ticket, an electronic parking pass and a printed out road access pass that goes in your windshield/dashboard. — Michelle Kaufman

Read the story: Going to a World Cup game at Miami Stadium? Here’s everything you need to know

Watch parties

For the rest of us mere mortals who plan to watch the match on a screen, there are so many options around town to watch with soccer fans, from the official Fan Fest in Bayfront Park, to local municipal watch parties to parties hosted at local bars and restaurants that feature food and drink specials.

Read the full stories:

Looking for a World Cup watch party in Miami? See list of free community events

How to watch the World Cup in Miami away from the stadium. See the choices

World Cup is here! What you need to know about Miami Fan Fest, transportation

What do you need to know about the teams before the game?

Take a look at team history, players to watch and where FIFA ranks both teams.

Read the full story: Here’s a guide to the seven World Cup teams (and their fans) headed to Miami

How hot is it going to be?

The forecast temperature at match time: 88 degrees with a feels-like reading of 99, according to AccuWeather. Hours earlier if you’re tailgating between 2 and 4, that feels-like will be at 102 in Miami Gardens with an air temp of 89. Even around 9 p.m. when the game’s likely wrapped you’ll still file out of the stadium to a sticky 86 degrees and 95 feels-like.

Read the full story: Will the Miami World Cup match and a holiday weekend face extreme heat? See risk

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