It’s called the world’s biggest sports party.
Even in hockey-mad Canada, the FIFA World Cup is a big deal.
And while the Stanley Cup playoffs are slowly coming to an end, sports fanatics won’t have far to get their face-painting fix.
Just ask Paul Dolan.
The Port Moody native is anticipating a great World Cup in South Africa and will be following all the action.
The 44-year-old said his own World Cup experience gives him a deep appreciation for the teams that will be laying it all on the line over the month-long competition.
“I was just talking about it at work, how great it would be if they held it every couple of years, but then it would lose some of that special focus that is part of the four-year wait,” Dolan said.
The goalkeeper for Canada’s only World Cup appearance (in 1986), Dolan has also attended two as a spectator — 1994 in the U.S., and ’98 in France — and admits there’s nothing like being there in person to get the full flavour of the football festival.
Get daily National news
“In the U.S. some people expected it to be boring but there were a lot of friendly celebrations… In France the game I attended there was some hooliganism. But going there, just being part of the whole tournament is an amazing thing.”
For Centennial secondary teacher and Port Moody Soccer Club coach Larry Moro, the 32-team, month-long marathon has seen many classic battles and memorable matches, but none as remarkable as his first in 1970.
“My memory is of an incredible save by England’s Gordon Banks made off of Pele… I was a (10-year-old) goalkeeper and the save left an impression on me.
“I had pictures of it on my bedroom wall. Years later I met Banks… he was a guest instructor (of B.C. Soccer). We were showing the clip of the save and I asked Banks if he ever got tired of seeing it. He got a gleam in his eye, smiled and said ‘Never!’ It was very cool.”
Moro and his daughter Kara will be monitoring the action closely, he says.
“It’s a great conversation starter at work among staff and students.”
Long-time Vancouver Metro Soccer League president William Azzi said the tournament is an incredible event that crosses borders and language barriers.
People change their sleeping patterns to be able to watch their favourite teams, he said.
With the games being played in South Africa, the most passionate fans will be hitting the pillow early to maintain their spectating habits.
“The first game every day starts at 4 a.m. (locally) but luckily the most important games are starting later,” Azzi said.
He recalls a trip to Commercial Drive that erupted in pandemonium after Italy won in 1982.
“We took the kids down to there and what an absolute madhouse. They had to close the road, but that’s the way it is all over the world.”
He bemoans the fact that the sport is relegated by Vancouver’s media to the back pages, if that, except come World Cup time.
“Canada tied Venezuela 1-1 the other day (May 29), they really played their hearts out and tried really hard, but there was not a word in the paper the following day,” he said.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.