The Canadian Men's National Football Team finally returned to action at the National Soccer Stadium (usually known as BMO Field) where they faced off against Jamaica, who came up short in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup and were looking to start off on the right foot themselves. It was a spirited match, and Canada ran away 3-1 winners, which was their first win in about two years, and their first multi-goal game in a long while as well.
There were two things I noticed as soon as I entered the stadium. The first thing I noticed was the sheer amount of empty seats at the stadium. I felt like the match could have been promoted better, as I didn't really hear about the match a whole lot through the different types of media. However, the match did have some challenges when it came to attracting people to come out, such as the fact that it was a weekday match (Tuesday evening), and that they had to compete against the Toronto Blue Jays, who were playing in the Rogers Centre at the same time. It also didn't help that the Canadian team wasn't very good.
The second thing I noticed was that there was a strong contingent of Jamaican supporters at the stadium. Canada matches that take place in Canada (especially in Toronto) always had the issue where the team that they were playing had more supporters in the stadium than the Canadian fans. That always bothered me, and I made the joke that all the Jamaican supporters were actually Jamaican-Canadians, and I have a suspicion that I might actually be right. Name me one person that flew from Jamaica to Toronto just to go watch this friendly, I don't think you will be able to.
As for the match itself, I was pleased with Canada's performance. Canada were understandably a bit rusty at the beginning stages of the match, but the Canadian midfield imposed themselves and were in control (Hutchinson and De Guzman had solid performances). The Canadian defence were quite composed and even though they had some scary moments when Jamaica threatened the goal, they were able to shut them out. Milan Borjan had a stellar performance, making great saves and not being afraid to come out for the ball. The Canadian forwards had a tough time putting the ball on target, which echoed previous struggles whenever Canada played, but luckily for them, the scoring came from other sources.
It's worth noting that the response from Canada after Jamaica scored the first goal was something I have never seen from this team. They would usually wilt under the pressure of going behind, but they instead roared back quickly, and then put the game out of reach. Much credit to the coach, Benito Floro, for his role in inspiring the team.
The Canadian supporters in sections 112-114 were absolutely fantastic. They didn't stop singing for the entire duration of the match, and they brought an atmosphere that was sorely lacking whenever Toronto FC played at BMO Field. It was without a doubt, the best atmosphere at BMO Field this year, and the supporters deserve a lot credit for that.
Lastly, I have a couple of videos. The first one was taken immediately after the match ended where the Canadian players thanked the supporters for coming out to watch them beat Jamaica. The second video was taken outside Gate 3 after the match where more singing and chanting ensued.
Overall, it was an awesome time out. I met various supporters from here in Toronto, from Ottawa, and beyond. The match was also quite entertaining, and it was good to see Canada prepare for their World Cup qualifying with a win. This may be wishful thinking, but I hope this win lays the ground work for shaking off the "loser stench" that has plagued the Canadian National team for so long.
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