As most know by now, the Canadian Soccer Association is looking to bring in a big name opponent to celebrate the organization’s Centennial next year. It’s a poorly kept secret that England and France are the targets.
There is some logic to it. The two founding cultures (with apologizes to our aboriginal friends) offer a great symbolic story. They both would also be a big draw, as many of us have connections to the nations and cheer for them once Canada drops out of World Cup competition.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]As someone with English heritage – and a lifelong anglophile – I certainly would be excited on a personal level to see the English circus come to town (fanboy aside: especially if Adam Johnson was called). However, I question whether it’s the right thing to do.
If the goal is just to sell a bunch of tickets, then sure. Clearly, there are very few countries in the world that can draw more. Olympic Stadium and BC Place would be packed. The CSA will make a lot of coin (although it won’t be cheap to bring them here) and God knows the association could use the money.
But, should that be what a Centennial celebration should be about? Should we not also want to do something that builds the game and helps to bring a new generation of fans to the national team cause? It doesn’t seem likely that many of the kids that show up in England or France gear are going to walk away desperate for Iain Hume’s autograph. Canada has played the big boys before – Brazil, Spain, Germany and Argentina all within the last 10 years alone – and even decent results against those countries does not sway the casual fan to get out and support Canada when it’s Honduras that’s in town.
As (new) Vancouver fans are learning and what TFC fans know, a passionate, full and partisan crowd is what hooks people to the experience of supporting. Unfortunately for Canada, there are rarely opportunities to get that type of crowd. The Aug. 20, 2008 game against Jamaica was as close as we’ve ever come and even then the crowd was likely as high as one-third Jamaican support.
Canada is a nation of immigrants and one that does not foster a unique culture of its own. That creates a liquid nationalism that sees nothing wrong in taking to the street after Canadian Olympic hockey gold and flying a German flag on their car every two years.
It’s going to take a sustained qualifying campaign (and a successful one) for Canadian support to grow beyond its current cult following. It could happen, but not from sideshows like England and France.
There is, however, one team that could be brought in that could unite Canadians to cheer for Canada. I’m talking, of course, about the United States.
By all means bring England and France here next summer. As stated, it will be a fun 90 minutes. But, why not play a third game to celebrate the Centennial. BMO Field seems about the right size.
And If we’re really lucky the Americans would call Teal Bunbury.