Fans celebrate Canada's fourth goal against Qatar at BC Place Vancouver.Fran Santiago/Getty Images
Leading up to this year’s World Cup, there was more than a little skepticism here about playing host.
There was grumbling about what the city and province would get in return for footing the bill for FIFA’s month-long party. There was justifiable outrage about the unjustifiable ticket prices. And when the city’s downtown core became an even more infuriating place to drive as a result of road closures related to footy’s grand party, people shook in anger and frustration.
But somewhere along the way, perhaps buoyed by a glorious sun that has arrived on cue for days on end now, the good people of this burg and surrounding environs decided there was no point in complaining.
So, they joined in the fun.
This has kind of been Vancouver’s MO for these types of affairs. There was lots of complaining ahead of Expo 86. It put the city on the global map. There was lots of griping ahead of the Winter Olympics in 2010. Locals cried when it was over. Now the city is hosting seven matches for the World Cup and the parties have raged on, just about everywhere.
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It hasn’t hurt that reviews of the city have been absolutely glowing. And let’s face it, there are few places on Earth as beautiful as Vancouver in the summer. The ocean. The mountains.
TSN’s set at Coal Harbour, with cruise ships and float planes part of the everyday background, may be the prettiest sports set ever assembled. It was someone’s brilliant idea to wrap the Science World orb in False Creek to make it look like a soccer ball. Lit up at night, it is shockingly cool. Someone else came up with the idea to put the world’s largest Canadian flag on Grouse Mountain so you can see it from almost anywhere in the Lower Mainland.
When Sports Illustrated decided to rank the 16 cities that were hosting games of this World Cup, it wasn’t even a contest: Vancouver was No 1.
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Victory at last: Canada steamrolls nine-man Qatar 6-0 for historic World Cup win
On Thursday, the party moved indoors to BC Place Vancouver for Canada’s second match of this World Cup but the first of two in the city. Ahead of the match, Canadian coach Jesse Marsch issued an edict, of sorts: “We expect this place to be rocking,” he told a news conference. “We want to ensure Qatar feels not just the [Canadian] team but the crowd. Show up, be loud, use the echo in the stadium and make sure we have a 12th man in this stadium.”
Message received.
I attended the only World Cup match involving a Canadian team to be held at BC Place. That was 11 years ago. Then, the Canadian women fell 2-1 to Britain in the quarter-finals. But the stadium was a blizzard of red and white and loud. Well, loudish.
The reception that greeted the Canadian team for its match against Qatar was on another level completely. The buzz that surrounded the possible return of superstar Alphonso Davies to the pitch after a lamentable absence from national competition was palpable. (Alas, his services would not be needed in this rout.)
An ebullient Jesse Marsch gestures to the home crowd at the end of Canada's big victory.Agustin Marcarian/Reuters
The game was a homecoming, of sorts, for several players on the Canadian side. Six players previously played for the hometown Whitecaps. Defender Niko Sigur was from Burnaby, B.C., 20 minutes away. He grew up coming to the stadium to watch the Whitecaps, nourishing his love of the game. He said he just wanted to enjoy the moment and “repay the fans for all the support they’ve given us,” he told reporters earlier.
And they did, early.
Just 16 minutes into the game, after carrying much of the play, Cyle Larin made it 1-0. Qatar looked like they were prepared to play the role of perfect guests. When Jonathan David made it 2-0 less than 15 minutes later Canada looked completely in charge. Before halftime it would be 3-0.
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In the end Canada would best Qatar 6-0. You couldn’t have asked for a better first game in Vancouver, causing the in-stadium celebration to spill into the streets after the game. The downtown core was packed with thousands wanting to bask in the warm glow of this victory.
I think it’s fair to say that Vancouver has completely bought in to this World Cup and is, in fact, revelling in it. It would be a stretch to call Vancouver a full-on soccer city, but it is learning to love the game and understand it at a new level.
It’s too early to say how this ultimately plays out. But it’s looking and feeling a little bit like it did here for the Olympics. Who knows, people might be even a little tearful when it’s time for this circus to leave town.