Hundreds of Calgary soccer fans cheer Team Canada at watch party on Tsuut’ina Nation
Hundreds of hyped-up Calgary soccer fans gathered for a Team Canada watch party at the Tsuut’ina Seven Chiefs Sportsplex Sunday morning.
Calgary Minor Soccer Association hosted the event as Canada played Croatia in their second group stage match from Qatar at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Fans celebrated early, as 68 seconds in, Canada’s Alphonso Davies, on a magnificent header, scored Canada’s first-ever World Cup goal.
Carlo Bruneau, executive director with CMSA said that goal will go down in the history books.
“To be here in person, with 700 of our closest friends, definitely a special moment for us,” said Bruneau.
Bruneau added that with the men’s team showcasing themselves on the world stage, the game is growing exponentially year by year.
“Canada is very diverse,” he said.
“It's only a matter of time until soccer takes over as the sport of choice for all Canadians. It truly gives that see it and you can be it feeling.”
The event also hosted members from Cavalry FC.
One of them, midfielder Charlie Trafford, played three games with the national team between 2015-2017.
“It's so cool to see the soccer culture growing, the amount of people coming out the next generation of those kids coming,” said Trafford.
Charlie signed with Cavalry in the off season and he says he's excited to be able to take to the pitch with Mason.
“It's so cool to see kids in Canada jerseys. We were talking about that," Trafford said. "You didn't see that even a couple years ago, so it's a special thing to see that growing.”
Later, fans were much more subdued as Croatia equalized in the latter stages of the first half.
Then, on the brink of halftime, in the 44th minute, Croatia scored again to take a 2-1 lead.
A turning point in the match according to head coach John Herdman.
“The second goal, I thought they were a little bit lucky with that,” he said.
Canadian soccer coach John Herdman
“At 2-1, we are opening ourselves up and again. I was proud of our lads, the way they pushed, but then you're vulnerable, (to) the Croatian counter attack, which is so clinical.”
Croatia added two goals in the second half while the Canadians could not find a way back into the match.
JUBILIATION FOR CALGARY CROATS
Although disappointment for many on Tsuut’ina land, it was jubilation at Limericks Traditional public House on Macleod Trail.
There, the Calgary Croat Sports Club celebrated the Croatian comeback.
“It’s an extra bonus this year that Canada is in it, obviously we were excited for their team as well,” said Croatian fan Frano Cavar.
“It was a bit of a shame they were matched up in the same group, and obviously in a perfect world we would see both teams advance.”
For Limericks co-owner George Kaketsis, the World Cup is what makes his establishment tick.
“The pubs are soccer, and soccer is a big part of what Limericks does,” said Kaketsis.
“These big events, we try to organize it, we specialize in it and we have the capacity for it, so we definitely try to focus in on it.”
The 4-1 defeat ended Canada’s hopes of advancing in the 2022 World Cup. However in 2026, Canada will be a host nation of the world’s largest sporting event, meaning it receives an automatic invitation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.