Chaotic day in New York. The decision on the NBA champion and an important match at the World Cup fall on the same day?

Critical datum

A potential sixth game of the finals is scheduled for June 16 at 8:30 p.m. in Madison Square Garden. On the same day, at 3 p.m., the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host a World Cup match between of France i Senegalese. About 80,000 spectators are expected at the soccer game and 20,000 fans in the Knicks’ hall. The problem is that tens of thousands of people depend on the same transportation infrastructure, with Penn Station as a key hub. The possible celebration of the Knicks title on the streets would further burden the traffic and security services.

Transportation restrictions and high prices

NJ Transit officials have introduced special measures for World Cup game days. For a period of four hours before and three hours after the games, trains between Penn Station and the Secaucus hub will be reserved exclusively for football ticket holders. Other passengers, including Knicks fans from New Jersey, will be diverted to Newark stations and the reduced-capacity PATH system. Additionally, the price of a round-trip train ticket to MetLife Stadium during the tournament has risen to $98, up from the regular $12.90.

– I want to be very clear, we are rooting for the Knicks to sweep the Spurs in four games. However, we are preparing for all scenarios. That’s our job as city administration, we have to be ready for every possibility – said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Governor Hochul told the citizens to come to the city and celebrate. “We can solve it. We have the situation under control,” she said. Both emphasized the importance of using public transportation, noting that plans for the 39-day tournament had been worked on for months.

– If you had told a New Yorker a year, ten or twenty years ago that we would be the hosts of the World Championship and that at the same time the Knicks would have a chance for the title, against the same team as in 1999, only with a different outcome… We are all here for this opportunity and we are incredibly excited – added Mamdani.

(*with the use of AI)