FOXBORO, Mass. — The first World Cup match at Boston Stadium brought thousands of fans to Massachusetts over the weekend.
Now, with another match just hours away, businesses and residents are looking at what worked and what could be improved.
From traffic plans and transportation services to crowd control and parking, Saturday’s Haiti vs. Scotland match served as a trial run for the community ahead of another World Cup matchup set for Tuesday.
“It was a good bump for business,” said Derek Civilinski, who owns at Route 1 Wine and Spirits near the stadium. Like many businesses along Route 1, the store prepared for an influx of customers.
“We had our staff here early, we were fully staffed, so we really didn’t know 100 percent what to expect, but it went what we thought, and it went great,” Civilinski told Boston 25 News.
Derek expects a different set of challenges as game-day traffic on Tuesday overlaps with the evening commute.
“That’s going to be a little different with it being a 6 o’clock kickoff,” he said. “You’ve got to deal with the regular commute traffic plus the game traffic. Again, we’ll be here early prepared, and we’ll just take it as it comes.”
For nearby Foxborough residents, the World Cup is also creating economic opportunities. Remo Bertoldi, a Foxborough homeowner living close to the stadium, put up a parking sign outside his property, hoping to attract fans looking for alternatives to crowded parking lots.
“I used to park cars over here for football games because I am so close to the stadium,” Bertoldi told Boston 25 News. “I figured I’d put the sign up just a couple of cars for anyone looking last minute or whatever.”
“Round one was great,” Civilinski said. “The fans were fantastic. The Scottish fans obviously everyone knows about, and the Haitian fans were great too. They got along. There were bagpipes playing, Haitian music playing. It was really festive, really fun.”
Transportation officials continue encouraging fans to arrive early, monitor transportation updates and expect large crowds as World Cup action returns and continues at Boston Stadium this week.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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