When Canada took to the pitch against Bosnia-Herzegovina last Friday, there was raucous applause from fans in the stadium. Those not with tickets convened in parks, community centres, pubs, campuses and anywhere they could for watch parties from coast to coast to cheer on The Reds at the first men’s World Cup played in this country.
The streets of Toronto saw a gathering of Les Voyageurs, the local supporters’s group, we had never witnessed. I sat in the media tribune and must say my heart was full of happiness during the anthem. It was hard not to feel overwhelmed at Toronto Stadium (BMO Field has been renamed for the tournament) where the sea of red kits punctuated the revamped stadium amid a healthy smattering of blue and yellow for Bosnia-Herzegovina. Canada had shown up as the soccer nation it truly is.
Canada’s March to the Match continues to work its way through the Toronto streets toward the stadiums.
Beautiful scenes as fans chant and cheer and high five fans who are lining the streets.
It’s going to be electric inside the stadium today. pic.twitter.com/PUg96LzLYn
The players emerged an hour before in their suits to inspect the grass and get a sense of the field of play, then came out for warmup as some great tunes played. As someone who has been in stadia all over the world covering soccer, Toronto Stadium felt unreal.
Considering how proud I was, it made me think about the family and friends of the players who were in attendance. What might they be feeling?
For Ron Davidson, the feeling of pride began well before match day. Davidson is forward Tani Oluwaseyi’s former coach. For Davidson to be there to watch the 26-year old start the match was incredible.
“I think for me it’s like a fairy tale, really,” Davidson said outside of Toronto Stadium on Friday. “Coming for the whole completion of where he started as a youth — the university, the big money transfer to Villa Real to full international [player] to World Cup. That you can’t get any better than that. That’s a real story.”
Davidson said Oluwaseyi has a “gratitude list” and Davidson is honourably at position No. 3 just behind Oluwaseyi’s parents, and grandmother.
Chrys Chrysanthou, who coached Team Canada member Tajon Buchanan, says his former player never had a ‘Plan B’ as he pushed to become a professional athlete. ‘I think he shows up every day wanting to be the hardest-working player.’
Chrys Chrysanthou is midfielder Tajon Buchanan’s former youth coach and legal guardian. Buchanan’s biological father died when he was seven and Chrysanthou and his family welcomed Buchanan into their home — their son Anthony and Buchanan were best friends and teammates. When Buchanan was 15, they moved to Colorado to accompany Buchanan when he got accepted into Real Colorado, an elite U.S. development academy. They have supported him every step of his journey. Chrysanthou was filled with emotion on that first match day.
“I was so excited and anxious,” he told me over text. “I was shaking — similar to being in the stadium in Qatar (at the World Cup in 2022) and Tajon’s first appearance at Inter Milan. It was difficult to keep the emotions hidden from the people around us.”
Chrysanthou was flanked by over a dozen family members to cheer on Buchanan. Playing at home made it possible for so many to be present.
“It was only the first time we were all in the stadium at the same time for one of his games. We were well represented,” he said.
BMO Field is the home base for national team stalwart Richie Laryea, 31, who plays for TFC of Major League Soccer. Laryea’s wife, Melanie Pace, said there was something extraordinary about being there for a World Cup game. Pace wasn’t sure that it would feel so different but a couple factors intensified that experience.
“First, just knowing what he’s playing for, and second they did an amazing job transforming the atmosphere of the stadium into something really grand,” she said. “From the outside festivities to all the upgrades. Helped for it to be packed too.”
Pace is American but said she has adopted Canadian culture and pride. She told me her family sings the anthem as loud as they can and Friday’s match was no exception.
Elijah, their son, was in attendance to support his dad. According to Pace, the seven-year old offered Laryea very honest coaching advice.
“He tells Richie ‘You better shoot the ball, bro!’”
For Pace, watching her husband play at home was so meaningful.
“It’s pretty special. He loves Toronto and to see 43,000 in the stadium he plays in, was just incredible.”
Ali Ahmed, 25, was born in Toronto and grew up in Lawrence Heights. He is the fourth of five siblings to Ethiopian parents. His eldest sibling, Sureya Ahmed said watching her little brother play was “surreal.
“Watching my little brother live out his dream with friends and the community that raised him made me so proud,” she said. “It’s like a moment I’ll cherish forever. Masha Allah.”
For many of the Canadian players, the opportunity to have so many family members watching together in person is not always possible, particularly if the players play in other countries. The Ahmed family had more than 20 people watching.
It is a staunch reminder that not only does it take a village to raise elite players, but also to continue to support them. Sureya said the shared history matters. When Ahmed was little, their mom drove him to practices and matches and she would help by making sure Ali and his brothers were fed and bathed before bedtime. Everyone had a part in giving them the best environment to grow and thrive. Now they get to see their hard work pay off.
Ahmed’s professional career began in Vancouver with the Whitecaps and he now plays in the Premier League with Norwich City FC — not exactly close to home.
“For those who have watched him grow from a young kid with big dreams to playing on this stage, and they’ve been part of the journey, and seeing him play in his own city made it feel like a shared moment for everyone,” she said. “So it’s bigger than just our family. It’s fans and his coaches and friends in the community. It’s nice to see that everyone gets to share that moment.
“We’ll talk about it for years to come.”
