Canadian coach Jesse Marsch is adamant that the first men’s World Cup match to be played in the country will feel like the ultimate home game. “The stadium will be red,” Marsch vowed in his Thursday press conference prior to Friday’s opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the American coach’s latest pro-Canada, patriotic speech.
Bosnian Presence in Toronto
Marsch’s comments were essentially laughing off a suggestion from a reporter who opined that 30,000 Bosnian fans would be on hand to witness what will be the third game played at this World Cup. As the gates opened at Toronto Stadium at 11 a.m., it’s clear that there is a strong Bosnian presence in the city in advance of the historic opener to Group B play. A bustling group of blue and yellow-clad supporters of the UEFA qualifiers began to march to the stadium from Liberty Village. Several areas of the downtown core had far more Bosnian fans, though we won’t know for a couple of hours how many of them have game tickets.
Spectacle of the World Cup
Marches to the stadium are all part of the scene at a World Cup of course, part of the spectacle that will make the six games in Toronto feel spectacular at times. Canada supporters have their own boisterous group as well — the Voyageurs — who began their march towards the Exhibition grounds from Trinity Bellwoods Park. By noon several hundred Canadian fans had filtered into the stadium, soaking up the atmosphere of a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Canadian Support is Strong
In his final press conference before the tournament began, Marsch was passionate about what he has seen from fans in this country as support has grown in his two years at the helm. “When I first came, I had to learn a lot about what it meant to be Canadian but my reference point was always, what was it like in America?,” Marsch said. “There are stark differences between Canada and the U.S. Being a leader in this sport, I’ve always tried to create an environment where the differences make us stronger, not weaker, and I can only say that the minute I stepped into the environment with this team, I was already incredibly impressed with how much they loved each other, how much they were drawn to each other, and how much that there, even though there were differences, their back stories had similarities.”
The true gauge for Marsch was when he saw how Canadian players treated the anthem. “Sometimes we had to beg players to sing (the U.S.) anthem,” Marsch said. “These guys (Canadian players) sing the national anthem belted out at the top of their lungs because they want to show the country how proud they are to be here, to be Canadians and to represent Canada.” Marsch believes that passion carries into games. “They’re impeccable in their character, they’re impeccable in their work ethic, and commitment to each other,” the 52-year-old Wisconsin native said. “That’s what we want to show, man. That’s what we want to show against Bosnia. That’s what we want to show the country in this moment of time.”
