What's been the best Team Canada moment so far?

[Free kick]

3 hours ago, Gian-Luca said:

I have never understood the media’s need to call us “Team Canada” (as opposed to what, Individuals Canada?) while in the same breath, they correctly don’t say “Team Mexico”, “Team Panama” or “Team Honduras”.

Anyway, for me it is: 1. Atiba’s almost scientifically impossible goal off his back lying on the ground beside the goal from about one inch from the goal line, assisted by Eric Zavaleta 

2. The fight against Mexico started when Tajon did an excuse-me-punch of the ball out of the hands of a frustrated Mexican

3. Alistair Johnston’s continued pointing at the exit/dressing rooms in the face of the whiny Mexican dickhead players in the same fight  mentioned in #2

4. Doneil Henry’s “Piss off, I ain’t moving” stunt causing the fight against Panama in the first half

5. The Panamanian fan in the webcast who rips off his tie and throws his suit across the room after the Davies goal

6. The Duverger game winning goal against his own team

7. The Davies goal against the Cayman Islands where is was a 7 on 0 all alone against the keeper

The question at the bottom said “favourite moment” so I went with that

The "Team Canada" one has been a long term beef with me.  Because its just a rip off from what the US media uses and it shows that mainstream media only know the world through what it sees and hears from the US.  Nobody else in the world does this and there is even perfectly logical reason why the Americans do it and why it doesn't need to apply to Canada.  The US is one of the very few countries in the world whose name is really a an acronym so adding "Team" in front of it makes perfect sence and it rings off the lips much more normally and fits normally into a sentence.  But you don't have to do that (in english) with Canada, England, Jamaica, Australia, ...etc.  

Saying:  "Team USA" makes sense and sounds normal.   Saying "Team England, Australia, Jamiaca etc " is stupid.    nobody from those countries does that.  Except Canadian media.

 

Edited February 5, 2022 by Free kick

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

1 minute ago, Free kick said:

The team Canada one has been a long term beef with me.  Because its just a rip off from what the US media uses and it shows that mainstream media only know the world through what it sees and hears from the US.  Nobody else in the world does this and there is even perfectly logical reason why the americas do and why it doesnt need to apply to Canada.  The US is one of the very few countries in the world whose name is really a an acronym so adding "Team" in front of it makes perfect sence and it rings off the lips much more normally.  But you don't have to do that with Canada, England, Jamaica, Australia, ...etc.  

 

It's been Team GB in all the Olympic stuff going back, at least, to when I arrived in 2012.  

For me, Team Canada meant the hockey team in the Canada Cup when I was a kid, so not new for me.

In fact for me Team US and Team USA sound a bit weird.   

[CanadianSoccerFan]

13 hours ago, AvroArrow said:

- the stress of the lead up to the one-off Suriname game followed by the huge win

This game produced the greatest stress by far of the whole campaign.  If we f***ed up there was no tomorrow and no future for years.  It was the type of game that we had always lost  in prior campaigns.  That feeling of sheer relief when Phonsie scored before half took me off the ledge.  

The whole octagonal has felt so much more comfortable in comparison with 14 games to make our case.

[Obinna]

2nd goal at Iceteca. No disrespect to the other fantastic moments, but for me that was the biggest and most iconic of them all. I was there in person so I have a bias, but it is what it is. 

[kacbru]

My Voyageurs t-shirt arriving in the mail yesterday. 

Edit: in all seriousness, Sam jumping into the snowbank - huge game, huge goal, huge win and a uniquely Canadian celebration. 

Edited February 5, 2022 by kacbru

[GasPed]

There is no doubt in my mind - the best moment so far (from the many special ones) for me was Davies' goal.  Just a reminder - up to that point our record was 1 win, 4 draws and we were 4th in the table behind Panama, who had already beaten the US and tied Mexico.  Yes, we had some good performances up to then, but so had they, and it was clear they were going to be a force to be reckoned with in this cycle. So beating them in our house was as close to a "must win" as any 6th game could be.

And yet there we were in the 65th minute, locked in a draw - in fact Panama was having the run of play, and we seemed a bit lost for ideas.   The tension was palpable, the fans restless, anxious for something, anything to give some hope.  And then someone strings together 10 seconds of magic from absolutely nothing, and an entire country erupts.

To me at least, that was the start of "belief", at least for us fans.  We went from a team of "maybe" to a team of destiny, right then and there.  At least that's how I remember it.  😉

[An Observer]

The Davies goal against Panama.  For the reasons Meepmeep said. And the fact I was there and the place went bananas

[johnyb]

Davies goal against Panama for me. I've been praising Canada for the last decade just waiting for this moment. It was the first time I brought a group to a game with me. Pressure was on because I told the group my plans to fly to Toronto to watch the game because of how good we are now, and they all decided to join us (small bribe of going to the wineries in Niagara as part of the trip). Game was pretty Ho-hum until it exploded after Davies goal(literally happened right in front of us). This group has since told me they're hooked now and joined us in Edmonton and now just booked Costa Rica(bribed with some beach time). Not sure any of this would've happened if not for that goal.

[SthMelbRed]

Just now, johnyb said:

Davies goal against Panama for me. I've been praising Canada for the last decade just waiting for this moment. It was the first time I brought a group to a game with me. Pressure was on because I told the group my plans to fly to Toronto to watch the game because of how good we are now, and they all decided to join us (small bribe of going to the wineries in Niagara as part of the trip). Game was pretty Ho-hum until it exploded after Davies goal(literally happened right in front of us). This group has since told me they're hooked now and joined us in Edmonton and now just booked Costa Rica(bribed with some beach time). Not sure any of this would've happened if not for that goal.

While David's goal in Honduras was probably better from a footballing perspective, and the Sam Snowbank Dive might be more iconic, in a purely Canadiana sense, there's no doubt that Alphonso's goal against Panama was the 'TSN Turning Point' for this team and it's surge to the forefront of the public consciousness. 

[johnyb]

2 minutes ago, SthMelbRed said:

While David's goal in Honduras was probably better from a footballing perspective, and the Sam Snowbank Dive might be more iconic, in a purely Canadiana sense, there's no doubt that Alphonso's goal against Panama was the 'TSN Turning Point' for this team and it's surge to the forefront of the public consciousness. 

Snowbank Celly was a close second. As mentioned I travelled with a group to that game also and convinced them that sitting in -20 would be worth it! I absolutely hate the cold but team came through and made it worth the trip (and the frostbite)!

[gigi riva]

For me seeing the public perception growing after each game and then TV ratings too

[rdb9ty]

On 2/4/2022 at 11:21 PM, Free kick said:

PS.:  i wish that that Iceteca stuff wasn't nominated.  It was a bit of a farce and gimmick.  Of course, the result was positive, but there were too many other factors surrounding it that marred it and became more of a black eye.

Like what? What an absurd thing to say...

I've been to every home match thus far and no game has matched the energy, euphoria, and sheer joy I experienced than that during the win over Mexico. It was in that moment that I really started to believe we could qualify for the World Cup. I also don't subscribe to the theory that we only won because of a shit pitch or the cold. Yes they were factors but there were stretches during the match where we looked as dangerous in attack than at any point during the qualification campaign. The 2-1 scoreline is flattering even if the Mexicans had a chance to tie it up at the death. We should have been 3, maybe even 4 clear. Every attack and set piece in the second half felt like it would end in a Canada goal.  

Edited February 7, 2022 by rdb9ty

[The Ref]

Don´t know what the best moment has been, but for me the best result was winning against the U.S.

[EJsens1]

8 minutes ago, rdb9ty said:

I've been to every home match thus far and no game has matched the energy, euphoria, and sheer joy I experienced than that during the win over Mexico. I

I guess all of our opinions will vary.  There’s no right or wrong answer.  I thought the atmosphere in the Panama game overall was best and the Adekugbe goal at the end to clinch that win over the US (and frankly our spot in Qatar) with the euphoria during that moment that followed to be the best.  There’s been so many moments during this ride. It’s crazy to think we can debate this moment, or that moment was better than this one.  

[RJB]

On 2/5/2022 at 7:08 AM, youllneverwalkalone said:

2. The importance of that goal not only in the match but in the cycle and really for our entire history. That goal told Panama and everyone else that you are not going to fuck with us anymore.

I really feel like that goal was the turning point of the whole qualification.  We were one win and four draws at that point, and couldn't afford to drop anymore home points after Honduras. And Panama is who we were hoping to displace, so it was crucial to beat them at home.  And it had to be Phonzie, and it had to be that type of goal, and we haven't looked back.  Everything else has been amazing, but it all happened because of Phonzie against Panama. 

[vancanman]

My favourite moment so far is right now.  I'm reading all the comments, with everyone having a different opinion, and with me not being able to decide myself.  Until now, we'd all probably be agreeing on something like "that five minutes that we didn't suck" or something.  

There are so many different amazing, memorable moments.  There are so many great Borjan saves, so many really good goals, great atmospheres at games, other teams losing their shit for once instead of us.

[vancanman]

On 2/5/2022 at 11:00 PM, Gian-Luca said:

I have never understood the media’s need to call us “Team Canada” (as opposed to what, Individuals Canada?) while in the same breath, they correctly don’t say “Team Mexico”, “Team Panama” or “Team Honduras”.

 

I don't get it either.  It's just as grating as Canadian sports media types referring to the team as "the Canadians" as if they're foreign.  

[vancanman]

On 2/6/2022 at 1:34 AM, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

It's been Team GB in all the Olympic stuff going back, at least, to when I arrived in 2012.  

For me, Team Canada meant the hockey team in the Canada Cup when I was a kid, so not new for me.

In fact for me Team US and Team USA sound a bit weird.   

Team GB makes more sense to me because it's a united team of players that usually play for their constituent countries.  Anything with the US sounds weird, since they couldn't manage to come up with an actual name for their country.

[BrennanFan]

On 2/5/2022 at 12:11 AM, AvroArrow said:

Highlights of this run so far:

- the stress of the lead up to the one-off Suriname game followed by the huge win
- the bizarre first goal in the second leg of the Haiti game
- tying Mexico away
- tying the US away
- Davies goal vs. Panama
- David goal vs. Honduras
- beating Mexico at home and the Adekugbe snow bank dive.
- beating USA at home and the Adekugbe goal
- Atiba's goal vs. El Salvador
- the amazing calls of Wheeler and Dunfield

 

I would also add Henry's 2 'moments': not moving at the corner flag and causing the benches to clear against Panama, and of course the epic shoulder tackle taking out Chucky Lozano minutes into the Iceteca game.  

[chalms04]

My personal highlight…

[CanadianSoccerFan]

9 hours ago, vancanman said:

I don't get it either.  It's just as grating as Canadian sports media types referring to the team as "the Canadians" as if they're foreign.  

My favourite is when they read out the sentence long description of "Canadian men's national soccer team" to avoid offending anyone.  

[JAVIERF]

On 2/5/2022 at 1:26 PM, Free kick said:

The "Team Canada" one has been a long term beef with me.  Because its just a rip off from what the US media uses and it shows that mainstream media only know the world through what it sees and hears from the US.  Nobody else in the world does this and there is even perfectly logical reason why the Americans do it and why it doesn't need to apply to Canada.  The US is one of the very few countries in the world whose name is really a an acronym so adding "Team" in front of it makes perfect sence and it rings off the lips much more normally and fits normally into a sentence.  But you don't have to do that (in english) with Canada, England, Jamaica, Australia, ...etc.  

Saying:  "Team USA" makes sense and sounds normal.   Saying "Team England, Australia, Jamiaca etc " is stupid.    nobody from those countries does that.  Except Canadian media.

 

Colombia says Team Colombia 

We say  " The National team" or "the selection/ la selección"

The irish too they say " the national team". Or " the football nat team" or just plain as " Ireland/ Eire"  because of their huge fans.  

The Portuguese call it seleçao.  Brazil the Scratch du Brasil.  Germany mannschafft.  The swiss the Nati.  Italy La Nazionale   Spain La Selección.  

 

[JAVIERF]

Nobody says Team .... 

Just USa and Colombia

[JAVIERF]

The French is L'équipe de France informally Les Bleus.   

[JAVIERF]

Canada must call it as most of the English soeaking or French nations

The National football team.  Or just Canada.   In Spanish we call you  "the "equipe" of the maple leaf" or " the ones of the maple leaf'