Canada and the 2024 Copa America

[narduch]

Yesterday I made a post match Dairy Queen run and the father ordering behind me had a Davies Canada jersey on. His son had an Argentina Messi jersey. 

[narduch]

TSN has plastered TTC bus stops with Euro posters. They are all over the city 

[PastPros]

I was attending a show at the Ottawa Jazz Festival last night, which started at 7pm.

There were at least 2 people watching the game on their phone up until the start of the concert (coincided with end of first half).

Kudos to you, my brothers.

[The Real Marc]

1 hour ago, narduch said:

Yesterday I made a post match Dairy Queen run and the father ordering behind me had a Davies Canada jersey on. His son had an Argentina Messi jersey. 

Chocolate dipped cone. So good. DQ Love.

[kacbru]

10 hours ago, narduch said:

 

 

Only need a draw or a win.  What could go wrong?

Excuse me, I need go to talk to my therapist about PTSD coping strategies.

[InglewoodJack]

Had a call at work earlier today between another Canadian colleague and a Dutch one, so the Canadian colleague goes to the Dutch guy like “tough game yesterday eh? was really rooting for you guys”. I then chime in and say like “you been keeping up with Copa america? We won last night!” And his response was “yeah we barely won and the other team had 10 guys. I try to pretend Canada doesn’t have a soccer team, because yeesh”

 

Soccer Nation baby!!!

[themodelcitizen]

27 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Had a call at work earlier today between another Canadian colleague and a Dutch one, so the Canadian colleague goes to the Dutch guy like “tough game yesterday eh? was really rooting for you guys”. I then chime in and say like “you been keeping up with Copa america? We won last night!” And his response was “yeah we barely won and the other team had 10 guys. I try to pretend Canada doesn’t have a soccer team, because yeesh”

 

Soccer Nation baby!!!

My go-to response is to say something like "imagine someone in Holland talking like that, saying they don't support their own national team and just watch spain and germany" (replace teams as needed). Tends to make them briefly realize how stupid they are before coming up with another excuse. Same when people don't support their local team here but go nuts over an English club. Like imagine someone in Leeds doing that with Barcelona 

[Joe MacCarthy]

17 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Had a call at work earlier today between another Canadian colleague and a Dutch one, so the Canadian colleague goes to the Dutch guy like “tough game yesterday eh? was really rooting for you guys”. I then chime in and say like “you been keeping up with Copa america? We won last night!” And his response was “yeah we barely won and the other team had 10 guys. I try to pretend Canada doesn’t have a soccer team, because yeesh”

And why didn't you embarrass him?

[InglewoodJack]

15 minutes ago, themodelcitizen said:

My go-to response is to say something like "imagine someone in Holland talking like that, saying they don't support their own national team and just watch spain and germany" (replace teams as needed). Tends to make them briefly realize how stupid they are before coming up with another excuse. Same when people don't support their local team here but go nuts over an English club. Like imagine someone in Leeds doing that with Barcelona 

14 minutes ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

And why didn't you embarrass him?

I mean, it was a work call. I can’t really pull out the “do you even KNOW we have the best left back in the world? What about the second best U25 goal scorer in Europe? And what about Stephen Eustaquio? Is he nothing to you???”

Funny enough, my only colleagues who know much about our team are the guys out of the UK office. Lots of Plymouth Argyle fans, so they’ve mentioned Liam Millar before, knew who Kone was, Junior Hoilett too.
 

I (not so) jokingly blocked off my calendar during the Qatar games, and when I told my coworker not to contact me for a few hours, they looked at me like I had asked to dip out of work to watch the Prince Edward Island regional U18 darts second division quarter finals. 

Edited Wednesday at 11:18 PM by InglewoodJack

[themodelcitizen]

Just now, InglewoodJack said:

I (not so) jokingly blocked off my calendar during the Qatar games, and when I told my coworker not to contact me for a few hours, they looked at me like I had asked to dip out of work to watch the Prince Edward Island regional U18 darts second division quarter finals. 

But can we bet on it? I've got $20 on the 300 pounder from Tignish

[kacbru]

21 minutes ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

And why didn't you embarrass him?

Or just headbutt them - it seems that's accepted practice now.

[Joe MacCarthy]

3 minutes ago, kacbru said:

Or just headbutt them - it seems that's accepted practice now.

Good thinking: quick, effective, memorable (if not done too hard)

[Joe MacCarthy]

11 minutes ago, themodelcitizen said:

But can we bet on it? I've got $20 on the 300 pounder from Tignish

Now you're getting personal, and it's West Point, home of West Point Justice.

[Kent]

2 hours ago, themodelcitizen said:

My go-to response is to say something like "imagine someone in Holland talking like that, saying they don't support their own national team and just watch spain and germany" (replace teams as needed). Tends to make them briefly realize how stupid they are before coming up with another excuse. Same when people don't support their local team here but go nuts over an English club. Like imagine someone in Leeds doing that with Barcelona 

With the new found popularity of Wrexham due to the TV show, I feel like people really don't get it. Supporting a plucky lower division club that only exists because it's community has supported it for over 100 years. No doubt there are plenty of people supporting Wrexham with an MLS, USL, or CPL team down the street that they don't pay attention to.

And everyone that has no connection to Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Juventus, etc, and support those teams. Those teams needed local support decades ago to be able to get to where they are (I know, rich owner, support from the monarchy, whatever, if they had been supported as poorly as FC Edmonton they wouldn't be where they are now).

[maplebanana]

31 minutes ago, Kent said:

With the new found popularity of Wrexham due to the TV show, I feel like people really don't get it. Supporting a plucky lower division club that only exists because it's community has supported it for over 100 years. No doubt there are plenty of people supporting Wrexham with an MLS, USL, or CPL team down the street that they don't pay attention to.

And everyone that has no connection to Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Juventus, etc, and support those teams. Those teams needed local support decades ago to be able to get to where they are (I know, rich owner, support from the monarchy, whatever, if they had been supported as poorly as FC Edmonton they wouldn't be where they are now).

I have a friend who is Canadian, and a big soccer fan. But he only cares about Man Utd, England (his parents were from Manchester) and general european soccer. He always playfully digs at me when I mention Canada or CONCACAF or CanPL or even TFC. The other day he asked me if I wanted to go to the Chelsea-Wrexham game as they are playing a friendly here in NorCal. I had to contain my sermon about supporting Canadian soccer for the purposes of keeping the peace.

I will say though that years ago he wouldn't even care about CanMNT. At least now he knows the results after WC22. 

[dyslexic nam]

5 minutes ago, maplebanana said:

I have a friend who is Canadian, and a big soccer fan. But he only cares about Man Utd, England (his parents were from Manchester) and general european soccer. He always playfully digs at me when I mention Canada or CONCACAF or CanPL or even TFC. The other day he asked me if I wanted to go to the Chelsea-Wrexham game as they are playing a friendly here in NorCal. I had to contain my sermon about supporting Canadian soccer for the purposes of keeping the peace.

I will say though that years ago he wouldn't even care about CanMNT. At least now he knows the results after WC22. 

Keep it up - you are wearing him down.   

[SthMelbRed]

14 hours ago, narduch said:

Yesterday I made a post match Dairy Queen run and the father ordering behind me had a Davies Canada jersey on. His son had an Argentina Messi jersey. 

Unless the mother's Argentine, then I'm calling this a failure of parenting!

[Obinna]

Some interesting stories here. I for one have been pleasently surprised by the interest in Canada from my footy teammates.

Just tonight, as we knocked the ball around warming up, someone who was NOT me brought up the Peru game, and we all talked about how dirty they were and how good the goal was. I never even had to carry the conversation on that one! I asked myself.... what kind of strange, beautiful reality am I living in? 

It's not all rainbows and sunshine though...

As we made our way to the bench, the other team who had just played and were clearing out were chatting about the game as well. I heard one of them comment how the Euros were great and the Copa America was just awful quality soccer to watch, and he referenced the Canada Peru game, of course.

I mean he wasn't wrong about the quality of that match in particular, it was dog shit, but it would have been nice if he referenced the heat or the win-at-all-cost-even-if-its-ugly mentality of the Copa America...ot even how important the result was for OUR country, but alas......

Imagine being Peruvian, in Peru, and being at a soccer field and hearing someone reference that match, not to talk about the implications, the score, what it means, etc., but JUST to vent about how bad the quality of the game was compared to the Euros 😂 

Edited Thursday at 08:23 AM by Obinna

[kacbru]

NZ, England, Ireland, Philippines, Canada, Ethiopia, Ghana, Japan, France, Argentina, Brazil and Chile - that's the makeup of where people were born in our over-35 team, all part of the oldest continuously running  club in the Southern Hemisphere (1888).  There is talk about the Copa, primarily due to my hammering on about Canada during WCQ, out of curiosity, and the banter with Argentina and Chile.  But Euros dominate (also the only thing easily accessible).  But everyone knows we beat Peru.  Proud to say that Canada has captured the neutrals for the Chile game.

[InglewoodJack]

11 hours ago, Kent said:

With the new found popularity of Wrexham due to the TV show, I feel like people really don't get it. Supporting a plucky lower division club that only exists because it's community has supported it for over 100 years. No doubt there are plenty of people supporting Wrexham with an MLS, USL, or CPL team down the street that they don't pay attention to.

And everyone that has no connection to Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Juventus, etc, and support those teams. Those teams needed local support decades ago to be able to get to where they are (I know, rich owner, support from the monarchy, whatever, if they had been supported as poorly as FC Edmonton they wouldn't be where they are now).

This, I just don’t get. Especially with how quickly players change clubs in soccer and how sheltered most internationally renowned clubs are from actually being bad, what is the excitement in that? I’m always confused when I meet someone who isn’t British, has never been to the UK, may have never left Canada, but is a diehard Chelsea fan, and it’s like… where do your ties come from? Their roster completely turns over every 5 or so seasons, even in their worst seasons ever, they’re still a top half club, they’re in Europe most years, what are you getting out of cheering for one billionaire club against another? 

Maybe it’s because I grew up in music that it makes a lot more sense to me to watch these small bands in tiny venues that “no one” listens to, so the idea of supporting your local club, even when the level isn’t the highest, you have the feeling like you’re a part of something that will one day be bigger than it currently is. To me, a Canadian being ignorant of their local club is like someone who bases their favourite artists based on who sells the most records. I’ve tried adopting about 5 different premier league teams, and honestly, I can’t really develop a serious interest in any of them because I have no reason to build an emotional tie to them. My favourite mega club is probably Bayern, but if/when Davies leave, I don’t know that I’ll be watching their games at 9:30 on a Sunday morning or anything. 

[theaub]

Is it surprising?  If I walk into a random bar and strike up a conversation with someone about soccer, the odds are overwhelmingly favourable to them knowing European soccer (likely Prem/CL), with a passing knowledge of MLS and zero idea that the CPL exists.  

I'm in my mid-30's - when I was growing up the only soccer on TV was major tournaments and the odd PL/CL match.  There was no MLS team, certainly no sniff of a domestic Canadian league.  The Lynx played down the street and I probably went once or twice.  Concurrently people started supporting PL teams like any other sports franchise since people wanted to get into soccer and have something to watch.  Someone who started following Chelsea etc in 2005 and has spent the last 20 years watching them has significantly more emotional ties for them than they will ever have for York United, regardless of how close/far away each one is.  

Now when I see people who were born in Canada who are knowledgable about soccer but have more interest in watching England etc play than Canada? That's what confuses me more. 

Edited Thursday at 01:51 PM by theaub

[Joe MacCarthy]

 

[costarg]

14 hours ago, InglewoodJack said:

I mean, it was a work call. I can’t really pull out the “do you even KNOW we have the best left back in the world? What about the second best U25 goal scorer in Europe? And what about Stephen Eustaquio? Is he nothing to you???”

Funny enough, my only colleagues who know much about our team are the guys out of the UK office. Lots of Plymouth Argyle fans, so they’ve mentioned Liam Millar before, knew who Kone was, Junior Hoilett too.
 

I (not so) jokingly blocked off my calendar during the Qatar games, and when I told my coworker not to contact me for a few hours, they looked at me like I had asked to dip out of work to watch the Prince Edward Island regional U18 darts second division quarter finals. 

Wait.  What?  You work?  How do you fit it in between posting here?

[Obinna]

32 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

This, I just don’t get. Especially with how quickly players change clubs in soccer and how sheltered most internationally renowned clubs are from actually being bad, what is the excitement in that? I’m always confused when I meet someone who isn’t British, has never been to the UK, may have never left Canada, but is a diehard Chelsea fan, and it’s like… where do your ties come from? Their roster completely turns over every 5 or so seasons, even in their worst seasons ever, they’re still a top half club, they’re in Europe most years, what are you getting out of cheering for one billionaire club against another? 

Maybe it’s because I grew up in music that it makes a lot more sense to me to watch these small bands in tiny venues that “no one” listens to, so the idea of supporting your local club, even when the level isn’t the highest, you have the feeling like you’re a part of something that will one day be bigger than it currently is. To me, a Canadian being ignorant of their local club is like someone who bases their favourite artists based on who sells the most records. I’ve tried adopting about 5 different premier league teams, and honestly, I can’t really develop a serious interest in any of them because I have no reason to build an emotional tie to them. My favourite mega club is probably Bayern, but if/when Davies leave, I don’t know that I’ll be watching their games at 9:30 on a Sunday morning or anything. 

I have a buddy who is a big Chelsea fan. His dad is also a Chelsea fan. Neither of them have any connection to the UK, let alone Chelsea, but the town they are from wear blue jerseys. One day I was asking him why Chelsea and I said "it's the blue kits, isn't it". He confirmed by nodded and laughing!

Sometimes it's as simple as that, funny enough.

[costarg]

15 hours ago, InglewoodJack said:

Had a call at work earlier today between another Canadian colleague and a Dutch one, so the Canadian colleague goes to the Dutch guy like “tough game yesterday eh? was really rooting for you guys”. I then chime in and say like “you been keeping up with Copa america? We won last night!” And his response was “yeah we barely won and the other team had 10 guys. I try to pretend Canada doesn’t have a soccer team, because yeesh”

 

Soccer Nation baby!!!

I'm in a group chat with a bunch of buddies who are mostly sports fans, so there's a lot of chatter based on game of the moment.  Obviously been pretty active the past weeks with Euro, CA, NHL playoffs, etc....  A few guys keep trashing Canada.  I'm by no means a betting man, but had just had enough after the negativity following the Argentina match.  One guy was like there is no way they score a goal this tournament, another guy says they won't get a point.  I offered both $200 for their $100 on both those scenarios, neither took me up on it and it shut them both up really quickly.  Point of the story is there is just so much ignorance and lack of knowledge when it comes to soccer in Canada.