ARLINGTON, Texas – One by one, the Canadian players left their locker room, some arm in arm, others strutting around with open cans of cold beer in their hands.
Ismael Kone, who scored Canada’s winning penalty in a dramatic quarter-final victory over Venezuela, wore a loudspeaker above his head blasting hip-hop music as he walked past dozens of stunned Venezuelan journalists.
There was no mistaking the strange and new feeling it represented.
Less than two years ago, Canada was eliminated by Croatia in its second match of the 2022 World Cup. After being humiliated by a more experienced team, the Croatian team stormed the mixed zone — where media wait to speak to players after a match — in Qatar, blasting music from a loudspeaker to remind spectators who the winner was.
And as Kone and his teammates danced with arrogance, the feeling Canada had long yearned for was clear: unbridled, deserved pride and joy.
For years, this Canadian team has been defined by its promise. Its players are rich in talent but devoid of experience. Their biggest victories have come within CONCACAF, but outside the region (and even in the knockout stages of tournaments). In (the region) Canada stumbled. They learned the hard way, with Croatian pop songs stuck in their heads.
But with this decisive victory under its belt, Canada can now march proudly to the beat of its own song. It is finally the team it has long wanted to be.
Canadian players celebrate their victory against Venezuela (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
At the Copa America, Canada (ranked 48th in the world) lost 2-0 to Argentina (1st) in the semifinals, beat Peru (31st) 1-0, drew 0-0 with Chile (40th) and eliminated Venezuela (54th) on penalties after a 1-1 draw. It was Canada’s first victory on penalties since beating Martinique a generation ago in the quarterfinals of the 2002 Gold Cup.
Canada’s forays into Central America usually end the same way: Canada returns home with its tail between its legs. A crushing 8-1 loss to Honduras in 2012, when Canada needed only a draw to advance to the final round of World Cup qualifying, was the norm, not the exception.
GO FURTHER
Key takeaway: Canada wins penalty shootout to reach Copa America semifinals
But this time, Canada didn’t cave in to the noise. More learning moments. After years of disappointment, the win over Venezuela showed they’ve developed the kind of emotional fortitude needed to win tournaments.
“I don’t think people realize how tough Canada’s games are,” midfielder Jonathan Osorio said. “We’re up against everything. It takes all these other experiences, these World Cup games that we lose, to get to this point.”
What Canada has experienced over the years has been necessary for its evolution. For generations, the team has been burdened by a lack of interest, due in large part to a lack of results and the dominance of hockey as the national sport. A trip to the 1986 World Cup, Canada’s first, is more of a mirage than a memory in the minds of Canadians. They now have a home World Cup to look forward to in less than two years.
Here, we must distinguish between the men’s team and the women’s team. The latter has enjoyed success that has allowed it to outpace its male counterparts, including an Olympic gold medal in 2021.
But while the women’s team has progressed, the men’s team has declined. The sport has grown in popularity throughout the 2000s. Unfortunately, the Canadians’ results have not been good enough to attract a wider audience.
Canada failed to impress at the 2022 World Cup (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
Things changed under John Herdman in 2018. There was a new star in Alphonso Davies and a forward-thinking culture that caught the attention of Canadians. Qualifying for the 2022 World Cup was a start, but three disappointing losses in Qatar sparked talk that Canada was still the same in bars and basements across the country.
Especially in football tournaments, what is the use of a process without results?
Winning on penalties in what was essentially an away game – in front of a very pro-Venezuela crowd in Texas – could be Canada’s biggest leap forward in the broader debate across the country.
“We’re reaching a wider audience than just football fans in Canada. And that’s what we want to do,” said defender Alistair Johnston. “We’re inspiring a lot of people and a lot of people look at us and say, ‘Wow, not only is this team reaching these kinds of tournaments, they’re competing.’ That’s something the guys can be proud of.”
This victory could, and should, change the conversation around this team.
Canada was without Tajon Buchanan, its best player at the 2022 World Cup, after a broken leg in training cast a shadow over the team’s chances. Instead of letting that discourage them, it encouraged them. When Jacob Shaffelburg pulled out a Buchanan jersey to celebrate his goal, Canada’s determination reached new heights.
(Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
The talent is certainly there. The sport is played by more children in Canada than hockey, it is relatively inexpensive to play and a diverse population can merge its roots as soccer-loving nations with Canada’s ever-developing soccer fields.
Yet the Canadian Premier League only exists in 2019. The three teams in Canada’s Major League Soccer and their respective academy systems are only just emerging from their embryonic state.
Talent will continue to slip through the cracks.
That’s what almost happened to Kone, who grew up playing in parks around Montreal rather than organized academies. Or to Shaffelburg, who had more than enough reasons not to want to be a Canadian international without adequate development resources in his home province of Nova Scotia.
Koné secures Canada’s place in the semi-finals (Juan Mabromata/AFP via Getty Images)
But the spectacular victory over Venezuela is a reminder of what people in the Canadian soccer world have been saying for years: There’s more to soccer in Canada than Alphonso Davies, and there’s more to this team than its stars.
Because this team is different. Where it hasn’t earned respect in the past, it should earn it now.
“Probably not,” Canada’s new head coach Jesse Marsch said when asked if Canada was respected enough. “But it will take time. Respect comes in different ways, but the best way to earn respect is to win games.”
“In those moments, the key is to stay focused and capture the energy that comes from the team. We managed to do that. Within the group, there was a focus and a special attention to continue.”
Even though Argentina is (again) looming in the semifinals, Canada can now feel like it belongs in this game like never before. That means Canada’s national team may never look the same again.
“I think people need to understand that Canada’s success doesn’t happen overnight,” Osorio said. “You have to learn and grow. And that’s what we did. That’s why we are where we are today.”
(Top photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)