Earlier today BC Place announced that it was releasing more tickets for the Olympic qualifying semi-final double header Friday. It didn’t say who was buying the tickets so we have no way of knowing whether they fans that show up will be wearing red and white, red, white and blue or green (we can assume Costa Rica fans will not be an overwhelming force).
We do know that about 6,000 Mexican fans showed up on a weeknight to watch the final game of the group stage against the United States. We’ve heard that more will be in the stands on Friday.
So, the potential of Canadian fans being outnumbered (again) in their own country is there. This is not shocking for those that have followed both the men’s and women’s national teams for very long. For a multitude of reasons – frustrating reasons – Canadians are reluctant to wave the flag for our soccer teams.
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Without turning this into a regional pissing match there is a lesson to learn here. Pro away support isn’t a Toronto problem, as many outside of the GTA have suggested in the past. It’s a Canada problem and one that won’t be fixed by the efforts of supporters alone. So, if the crowd is mostly green Friday let’s not go throwing BCers under the bus. Glass houses and all.
However, let’s not let them off the hook completely either. Not the ones that are there – no, the Voyageurs/Southsiders have done as much as you can ask of them. Rather, the ones, particularly the ones that go to Whitecaps games but have yet to set foot inside BC Place this week, that are not there. Those folks should be gently chastised and less gently convinced to get off the lazyboy and get out to the stadium.
The 11 young women wearing red Friday are representing you. Cheering them on is the least you can do. If you are in the Lower Mainland and are on the fence about this get off. The Canucks aren’t playing and you’re an Olympic city for God’s sake. Get out there. No excuses.
Unless you are a self-hating Canadian with a great-great-great grandfather that might have came from Mexico in 1786. You can stay home.
If you are from the Lower Mainland, let us know in the comments if you are going.