The scenes coming out of Vancouver over the past two games have been some of the best in the entire tournament, with thousands of fans packing the streets around BC Place in an iconic march to the match. In the stadium, the sounds were deafening whenever Canada had a standout moment.
It felt as though there was a real fortress-like quality to BC Place, and the double-tiered bowl surrounded the pitch in a sheet of sound, especially with the retractable roof closed. Unfortunately for Canada, those scenes are done.
Yes, there will be good crowds in the bars and watch parties for when they head to Los Angeles to take on likely South Korea, but the momentum that the team was building in local communities – and the possibility of a significant World Cup run on home soil are now gone.
For Vancouver, there are worries too. The Vancouver Whitecaps are still looking for a long-term solution in the city to avoid relocation, and the likelihood of a World Cup, Copa America, or even Gold Cup in the city seems far-fetched. For as passionate as Vancouver has shown for the World Cup this summer, the fans will now have to settle for Switzerland in the round of 32 –Â and potentially round of 16.
