Torrential rain in the northeastern Brazilian city of Recife disrupted pre-match preparations for players and fans ahead of the World Cup Group G decider between the United States and Germany on Thursday. Long lines of traffic were seen on roads leading to the Pernambuco stadium on the outskirts of the city, with fans wading through waist-deep water to attend the game, which proceeded on time. "The match will get started at 1 p.m. (1600 GMT) as originally anticipated," a FIFA spokesman said. "It is true there are heavy rains, but the match will go ahead as scheduled." The warm-ups of both teams were disrupted because of concerns about the pitch, with players forced to run and stretch behind the goal lines in order to preserve the wet playing surface before the game. A draw between Germany and the United States would send both teams into the second round, eliminating Portugal and Ghana, who also play Thursday.
