On two occasions in the past week and a half, the most sustained round of singing for the men's national team has come after the final whistle.
Earlier this week, a gaggle of red-and-white-clad cross-border interlopers let loose with a 10-minute loop of a French-language chant as they marauded through the concourse of Detroit's Ford Field, amidst hundreds of amused, bemused and confused American onlookers.
And last week, following the Canadians' dramatic draw with the visiting Ecuadorians, a similarly extended loop of the simple-but-effective "Canada! (clap clap clap)" ditty -- sans clapping -- was being belted out by a lone fan heading northward on foot from Toronto's BMO Field.
The fan, interestingly, was a young girl, no more than eight years old. The girl, even more interestingly, was wearing an Ecuador jersey.
Such is the wacky, ever-evolving nature of support for Les Rouges as the march towards 2014 continues.
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The little girl was by no means the only individual with split loyalties on the night. A few aged Ecuadorian gentlemen at a post-game pub borrowed Canada scarves for photo ops and pledged to support their nation of residence the next time out. And, of course, following Terry Dunfield's thunderous opening goal, television cameras captured a woman waving a Canadian flag which was clutched and shaken fervently (and supportively) by a nearby Ecuador fan.
Then again, six days later, the Voyageurs found themselves with some conflicted allegiances of their own. Jovial pre-game banter with a half-dozen "Gwada" supporters morphed into some full-blown "Guadeloupe! (clap clap clap)" noise-making in Ford Field's section 118 during the Gold Cup double-header's warm-up bout between the small French protectorate and Panama.
Canadian soccer supporters are sometimes guilty of self-congratulatory navel-gazing, it's true. But while the idea of supporting local soccer is hardly groundbreaking stuff, those willing to invest emotionally in their hometown/nation teams can be forgiven for their excitement at seeing our nation finally -- in very small increments -- catch up to the rest of the footballing world.
Perhaps the most telling element has been the evolution of Canadian support from a mere abstract idea into an actual community. Now, in fairness, in the last few years that's been a function of most of Canada's games being played in a concentrated area (Toronto, Montreal, Detroit). But the Ecuador friendly and the sojourn to Michigan drew Canadian support from not only southern Ontario but Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland -- and that's just among the folks I spoke to.
We are small in number, sure. And the geographic reality of the nation will likely prevent the formation of any sort of cohesive, coast-to-coast community of supporters. But each time Canada plays, each time I see familiar faces, each time a new story (on- or off-field) is added to the collective memory, that sense of community grows. And the great thing about a sense of community is that it's contagious.
Because, after all, this community is not restricted to people who read this site, or who post on the Voyageurs' message board. It's open to one and all willing to don the red and support the Canadian side -- whether it's a quartet of fellows who crossed the border on a whim, decked out in red, or a young girl willing to cheer on the local side so long as they aren't playing the country of her parents.
The time for shrinking away and hiding is done. The time for feeling sheepish about supporting our national team, or attending a game, is done. There will always be detractors, doubters, "haters" (in the young people's parlance). But the time for allowing their criticism, their sarcasm and their petty spite to dictate our actions... it's also done.
There's a reason that some of us tend to write about the supporters almost as much as the game itself. It's because we are supporters. Sure, we take a critical and analytical approach to the team; anyone who'd call me a mindless cheerleader surely isn't paying close enough attention. But while we are, yes, just some Canadian guys writing about soccer, we're also some Canadian guys with a purpose. Never have we hidden our aim to, in whatever small way, help the growth of the game in this country and, by proxy, affect the performance of our national teams in a positive way.
We think that, through our efforts (on this site and elsewhere) we're achieving that, in some small way. And it comes with your help. It comes with the help of everyone willing to unapologetically label themselves Canadian supporters, as we do.
Why does any of this matter? Ask a player. They'll tell you about how meaningful it is to have a 12th man, to know that the personal and professional sacrifices they make to represent the country are being appreciated.
The players aren't obligated to salute the supporters at game's end. But there they were, vigorously thrusting their arms skyward in unison at BMO Field, and offering subdued (though heartily reciprocated) plaudits to the assembled supporters at Ford Field. The looks on their faces show that they care. The looks on the faces of those in the stands could confirm that we do too.
Mission 2014 is building its momentum and we, as Canadian soccer supporters, aren't going anywhere but forward.