Canada's men's soccer team, better than ever, hopes for more support a year out from World Cup

Chris Jones · CBC Sports

· Posted: Jun 11, 2025 12:01 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

It volition beryllium "Soccer Day" successful Toronto connected Thursday, with a solemnisation planned astatine Nathan Phillips Square and the unveiling of a countdown clock: In precisely 1 year, the Canadian men volition footwear disconnected their archetypal location World Cup crippled astatine a revamped BMO Field.

Hopefully it volition capable up by then.

On Tuesday, Canada mislaid a shootout to Ivory Coast aft a scoreless gully but inactive claimed the inaugural Canadian Shield, a mini tourney staged successful mentation for this month's Gold Cup that besides included New Zealand and Ukraine. 

And yet those aforesaid men — playing amended than they ever have, against stronger opponents than they've usually faced — person failed to triumph the attraction they deserve. Despite an announced attendance of 18,489, BMO Field wasn't astatine half-capacity; much fans looked to beryllium streaming from its parking tons to the Halsey performance astatine adjacent Budweiser Stage.

"I'm hopeful that successful Vancouver we tin merchantability that stadium out, get adjacent to selling that stadium out," caput manager Jesse Marsch said, shifting his absorption to Canada's adjacent location game, its Gold Cup opener against Honduras connected June 17th astatine BC Place. "Like, travel on, travel retired and enactment the team."

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Even if Vancouver answers his call, Toronto's apathy this week is worrisome: That countdown timepiece astatine City Hall volition deed zero successful nary time, and Canada, on with the U.S. and Mexico, volition co-host the biggest sporting lawsuit connected Earth.

It mightiness privation to commencement acting similar it.

When erstwhile caput manager John Herdman led the squad to Qatar successful 2022, the archetypal men's World Cup for Canada since 1986, the country's expectations outstripped the game's sometimes achy realities. Three group-stage losses revealed the gulf that remained betwixt Canada and the world's champion sides and shot cultures.

Under Marsch, the spread has closed. Against Ukraine and Ivory Coast, his squad demonstrated a extent and potency that should permission long-suffering Canadian shot fans dreaming of antecedently unimaginable heights. Hope should beryllium turning into genuine belief; wishes should beryllium feeling much similar facts.

Canada scored 3 successful the archetypal 31 minutes against Ukraine connected Saturday earlier finishing disconnected a thrilling 4-2 win, the archetypal for Canada implicit a European hostile since 2011.

Fielding a acold weaker lineup against Ivory Coast, Canada inactive unopen retired the African champions successful a physical, foul-heavy affair.

"We bent astatine moments, but we didn't break," Marsch said. "That portion was great."

The visitors nevertheless received the astir dedicated support: A troupe of Ivory Coast fans played drums and tambourines and blew whistles heavy into the night. Canada's faithful Voyageurs tried to muster a counter. Their efforts were diminished by the bare seats astir them.

"If I'm honest, I'd similar to spot a afloat stadium of red, particularly present astatine home," defender Derek Cornelius said. 

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There are excuses, and immoderate of them are good. The Canadian Shield games were glorified friendlies; seats weren't cheap, and MLSE changed a confusing summons format mid-stream; it was a precocious kickoff connected a schoolhouse night. The U.S., playing Switzerland successful Nashville, didn't merchantability out, either.

But the Americans are playing horrific soccer. They were demolished by the Swiss, 4-0. The Canadians are self-elevating, and their potential, if acold from limitless, is unprecedented heading into their all-important World Cup. Their archetypal group-stage win, and possibly adjacent the knockout rounds, are wrong reach.

Beyond the presumed boost of playing astatine home, Marsch's men volition beryllium successful favoured Pot 1 for the radical draw, on with their co-hosts and the 9 top-seeded qualifiers.

With adjacent summer's tourney expanding to a grounds 48 teams, Canada could look an adjacent weaker radical than apical seeds usually enjoy. Possible opponents see debutants Jordan and Uzbekistan. New Zealand has earned Oceania's now-automatic bid. Three CONCACAF countries beyond the co-hosts volition qualify. Curacao is truthful acold among the undefeated.

Meanwhile, Canada continues to get faster, braver, much clinical. On the field, everything is falling into spot for a history-making run. The fans are the lone missing piece. There has ne'er been a amended accidental for Canadians to spot thing peculiar hap for and with their men, and determination mightiness not beryllium again successful their lifetimes.

They person a twelvemonth to determine what to marque of it. 

Tick, tick, tick.