Wildfire Smoke Disrupts Mets-phillies Game and MLS Match

WHO:

AP News - Bryce Harper, Phillies first baseman; Andy Green, Mets interim manager; Don Mattingly, Phillies manager; Trinity Rodman, member of the U.S. women's national team.

WHAT:

AP News - The Major League Soccer game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Chicago Fire was postponed along with a scheduled postgame concert due to poor air quality.

AP News - A crowd of more than 42,000 attended the rematch of teams in last season’s NWSL title game, setting a record for a women’s sporting event in New York City.

NY Post - Bryce Harper described the conditions as causing "burning" eyes and likened it to "sitting by a campfire."

AP News - Don Mattingly noted that tracking fly balls later in the game became an issue, stating, "the vision, later on, was a little bit like foggy conditions more than the air quality."

AP News - Trinity Rodman expressed dissatisfaction with the frequent hydration breaks during a game, saying, "If we have to have a hydration break every 15 minutes, then we shouldn’t be playing the game, and that’s my opinion."

AP News - The start time for the MLB game between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies was moved up an hour due to air quality concerns.

AP News - The game started at 6:10 p.m. EDT instead of 7:10 p.m. EDT.

AP News - The Mets won the game 4-1.

AP News - The Major League Soccer game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Chicago Fire was postponed due to poor air quality.

AP News - The MLS game was expected to draw 40,000 attendees and will be made up on Oct. 6.

AP News - The Canadian Premier League postponed a scheduled game between Forge FC and Pacific FC due to worsening air quality.

WHERE:

AP News - The NWSL game involving Trinity Rodman took place at Citi Field in New York.

AP News - The MLB game took place in Philadelphia.

AP News - The postponed MLS game was scheduled to be held at Soldier Field in Chicago.

AP News - The Canadian Premier League game was to be played in Hamilton, Ontario.

WHEN:

AP News - The postponed MLS game will be made up on Oct. 6.

AP News - The previous game affected by wildfire smoke in Philadelphia occurred in June 2023.

WHY:

AP News - The air quality was affected by wildfire smoke from Canada and northern Minnesota, prompting health warnings.

AP News - Officials urged residents to stay inside or wear masks due to unhealthy to hazardous air quality levels.

HOW:

AP News - The Canadian Premier League stated that conditions "deteriorated in the final hours leading up to kickoff" for the postponed game between Forge FC and Pacific FC.

AP News - A high-pressure system trapped the smoke close to the ground, reducing visibility and affecting air quality.

(UPDATED July 17, 2026 23:14 UTC)

A Major League Soccer game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Chicago Fire has been postponed due to poor air quality, which also affected a scheduled postgame concert. Meanwhile, a crowd of over 42,000 attended the rematch of last season’s NWSL title game, setting a new record for a women’s sporting event in New York City. The Canadian Premier League noted that conditions "deteriorated in the final hours leading up to kickoff" for the postponed match between Forge FC and Pacific FC.

(UPDATED July 17, 2026 15:27 UTC)

Bryce Harper described the playing conditions at Citi Field in New York as causing "burning" eyes, comparing it to "sitting by a campfire." Don Mattingly noted that tracking fly balls became challenging later in the game due to what he called "foggy conditions more than the air quality." Meanwhile, Trinity Rodman expressed her frustration with the frequent hydration breaks, stating that if breaks were needed every 15 minutes, then the game shouldn't be played at all.

(UPDATED July 17, 2026 13:30 UTC)

The MLB game between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies was moved up to 6:10 p.m. EDT due to poor air quality, with the Mets ultimately winning the game 4 to 1. Meanwhile, the Major League Soccer match between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Chicago Fire was postponed because of the same air quality concerns and is now set to be made up on October 6, expected to draw 40,000 attendees. Additionally, a Canadian Premier League game between Forge FC and Pacific FC was also postponed due to worsening air quality, which has been impacted by wildfire smoke from Canada and northern Minnesota.