Canada's World Cup run inspires a soccer-hungry nation
The Canadian men's national team's time in the World Cup is ending, but their time in the spotlight is really just beginning -- and that's inspiring a nation.
The team crashed out of the tourney Thursday after three hard fought losses in a tough group. But the long-term benefit and exposure gained for the sport during the three matches might've been worth the short-term pain.
"We've left a legacy for the young players to follow through on," defender Sam Adekugbe said. "And ultimately, we're on our way to be a better place.
"We just hope everyone comes with us."
Adekugbe -- who is London-born and Calgary-raised -- had a part in Canada's lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Morocco Thursday.
He also may be a perfect role model for the next generation, according to those in the sport.
"We're really proud of Sam," Calgary Minor Soccer Association Executive Director Carlo Bruneau said. "For our community to see that you can come from anywhere and then compete at the highest level on the largest stage in the world, it really gives that 'see it and you can be it' feeling."
Soccer is still a growing sport in Canada, and this World Cup will no doubt boost that momentum. Local enrolment is recently up as much as 40 per cent in outdoor leagues and 15 per cent in indoor ones.
The association says some of that can be chalked up to the Canadian men's squad and its thrilling qualification campaign.
"To be involved in the largest sporting event in the entire universe and to see our players compete at the highest level is really going to inspire our community and country to become a football nation," Bruneau said. "It's truly showing a pathway of where you can get to in soccer."
Increased registration in the sport brings funding, which, in turn, brings new, development facilities.
"Buildings (like indoor field Calgary West) provide a good environment and allow us to play our game year round," Calgary West Soccer Technical Director Connor Brady said. "I think all those things add into what is a program that can have some longevity on the world stage."
And so begins a development cycle that could produce the next Adekugbe. Or, at the very least, a cycle that will instil some good life lessons.
"That homegrown talent is important for our kids to see the potential and opportunity," Brady told CTV News. "It's important for them to see that it is possible. (The team was) able to motivate and inspire an entire country, and though it didn't go the way they wanted, that's football.
"Our sport offers us a ton of opportunities to learn those life skills."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.