First Person View - I Support Canada

    Tonight the Canadian Men’s National Team takes on Ecuador at BMO Field in Toronto. Like most National Team matches here in Canada there is a high probability that the home support will be dwarfed by rows upon rows of Ecuadoreans who will appear as out of thin air to support their heritage against their home. Far be it from me to tell anyone who they should or should not cheer for, but due to a local campaign to support Canadian Soccer there may be an air of change amongst the South End of Voyageurs at BMO.

    I was at the last match here in Toronto, a sparse crowd of red-clad fans bravely fought the invasion of Peruvian’s, but there is something different happening tonight. Rumours persist that there will be a group of around 1200 Canadians attempting to fill the home-end, to out sing their rivals and cheer their team as they prepare for this month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.

    I am by no means an old-hand at these affairs, this will be only my second National Team experience - there are some who have suffered long the fate of the Canadian fan. There is an honour in supporting your country in something they do not dominate. Wearing a Canadian sweater to support a legion of NHLers or future NHLers beat-up on some poor team from Germany or Lithuania is not real support. Even in the later rounds, playing the new rivals (USA) or the old enemy (Russia) there is an air of expectancy. Support is not about what you expect; it is about what you hope.

     I hope to see Canada take the field in their resplendent new Umbro kits, to run, battle, scrap, shoot, pass and score. I hope to see them reject the label of underachievers and contend against the big boys of CONCACAF in the Gold Cup. I hope to see them one day at the World Cup. I hope that one day it would not be a proper World Cup if Canada was not there.

     As I get ready to join my fellow Canadians in the south end at BMO tonight I leave you with this video. I’ll be one of the many making the trek down to Detroit to cheer on Canada in their opening Gold Cup match against the US next Tuesday. Qualifying for the 2014 World Cup begins much sooner than you would think. Are you a supporter?   

Special thanks to those at Canadian Soccer News, those who were featured and assisted in the production of the video. It is a valiant quest, keep up the good work.