After historic run, Vancouver fans say Canada must invest in soccer for next World Cup
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By the final whistle, Hugo Pollar sat alone on an empty patio bench along Granville Street still wearing his Canada jersey as thousands streamed away from the city’s World Cup fan zone.
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“I’m sad,” the Burnaby resident said after Canada’s 3-0 loss to Morocco ended the men’s national team’s historic FIFA tournament run.
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But after watching downtown fill with fans on Saturday morning, Pollar said the result wasn’t what he would remember.
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“Just look how many Canadians showed up for the team.”
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Sunrise
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Pollar hopes Canada builds on the momentum by investing more in the sport ahead of the next World Cup and follows the model of higher-ranked nations on the world stage.
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“Canada’s team has proved themselves because they went further than anyone ever thought,” he said. “Now it’s time to help them properly.”
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Hours earlier, Granville Street had been overflowing with that support.
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Just after 10 a.m., a fan standing along the strip let out a booming “Let’s go Canada!” The chant was met with a chorus of cheers from patios and sidewalks as blow horns sounded up and down the strip, which was transformed into a pedestrian-only zone for the World Cup.
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Thousands of supporters packed bars and patios and spilled onto sidewalks draped in red and white, hoping to watch the men’s national team continue its unlikely march through the World Cup against Morocco in the Round of 16.
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With his left shoulder pressed against the front window of the packed Moulin Rouge Pub, Mark Carmichael from Saanich peered through the glass, trying to catch the action on a television inside.
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“The lineup was too big to get in,” said the 60-year-old, who sported his team’s colours with a red sash draped over his right shoulder. Despite watching the opening minutes from the sidewalk, he remained optimistic.
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“After watching Cape Verde versus Argentina, I think Canada’s got a fair shot at winning.”
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Nearby, Vancouver’s Holoy Ried, 49, who was walking along the strip with a Canada flag draped on her back, was equally hopeful.
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Pointing to earlier results, Ried said: “Canada beat South Africa 1-0, South Africa beat Morocco 1-0 — so don’t count us out.”
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That optimism took its first major blow when Morocco opened the scoring.
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Amid a sea of red-and-white, Omar Alzen and Adnan Almasri’s maroon Moroccan flags stood out on Granville Street.
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The duo leaned against the front doors of Flamingo Café, packed shoulder to shoulder with fans trying to glimpse the televisions inside.
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Originally from Syria and now living in Canada, Alzen, 22, said they had come to support one of the few Arab nations still competing in the tournament.
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“If they were playing any other team, we’d want Canada to win,” he added.
