Boston Stadium's 2nd World Cup Match: Norway Takes On Iraq

Scotland and Haiti kicked off World Cup action in Foxborough, and now Norway and Iraq are preparing for Boston Stadium's second match of the tournament.

But first, Cape Verde fans in Boston went wild after their team held World Cup favorites Spain to a 0-0 tie on Monday. Some danced in celebration with members of the Boston Police Department at the Fan Festival on City Hall Plaza.

Massachusetts is home to the largest Cape Verdean population in the United States, with about 70,000 residents. Monday's unexpected result left even some fans amazed.

"We're a small country, very small country, but we're big, look," one fan said.

Team Norway landed at Hanscom Field in Bedford on Monday afternoon. Their match against Iraq is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Norway fans, wearing red and blue jerseys, have also started arriving in Boston. This is Norway's first World Cup appearance since 1998.

Fans of the Iraqi team gathered Sunday near the bandstand on Boston Common, blowing horns and banging drums.

Iraq last competed in the World Cup in 1986 and was the final team to qualify for this year's tournament.

Fans of the Norwegian team were at the Boston Fan Festival, where they demonstrated their synchronized "Viking Row" chant, where they mimic rowing a Viking longship.

The match will be the first of the tournament to be played on a weeknight at Boston Stadium. Scotland won the first match at Boston Stadium 1-0 over Haiti on Saturday night.

Boston Stadium will host group stage matches on Saturday, June 13; Tuesday, June 16; Friday, June 19; Tuesday, June 23; and Friday, June 26.

A Round of 32 match at Gillette is scheduled for Monday, June 29. This will be the first time the World Cup's knockout stages will feature a Round of 32 because it will be the first edition of the tournament to be played with 48 teams.

The final match, a quarter-final, will be on July 9.

Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.