What is it about rain and night games that produces more entertaining football matches?
Take this past week in the Premier League for example. The level of play seems to have been elevated much more in previous weeks. Was it just a fluke, or are matches more exciting when rain and darkness falls?
As a mere amateur playing on the varsity soccer team in high school, I remember that I used to love playing in the rain. For me, it added a whole new level of excitement to the game. Everything from the sound of the wet ball skimming across the wet grass, how the ball felt different when being kicked, the sliding tackles in the mud, and the way that the wet grass increased the tempo of the game as the ball sped faster across the grass.
It’s not only on the field that the game seems to go to another level. In the stadiums around the Premier League, the fans seem to be more vocal during night games. Add the element of rain and an incredible game, and you get to witness joyous scenes like the Tottenham supporters celebrating after their late win against Liverpool.
For many followers of traditional American sports, rain stops play. But soccer doesn’t stop for rain. In fact, it gets even better as the next few months in the Premier League will attest.
