Canadian Football

When most people think of sports in Canada, hockey quickly jumps into their mind. According to FIFA, soccer’s governing body; soccer has the highest participation rate throughout Canada. More than 2,695,712 participated in organized soccer in Canada as of 2006, which make it one of the most rapidly growing sports per country in the entire world.

Association football, now known as soccer was brought to Canada in 1986. The Manitoba Football Association was the first soccer association formed in Canada.  Other provinces soon followed as Ontario in 1901, British Columbia in 1904, Saskatchewan in 1906, Alberta in 1909 and Quebec in 1911. They were followed by the formation of the Dominion of Canada Football Association in 1912. The governing body of the game retained that name until it was changed to The Football Association of Canada on June 6, 1952. The Association later changed its name to the Canadian Soccer Football Association in 1958 and then at last to the Canadian Soccer Association in 1971.

In 2000, Canada's men's team won the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup in February. The Gold Cup is the soccer tournament of North Americas’ best teams.  Canada had finished in a tie in group play with the Republic of Korea, but won the tie-breaking coin toss to advance to the quarter-final, where they beat Mexico 2-1 on an extra-time golden goal. In the semi-final, Canada beat Trinidad and Tobago 1-0, and beat Colombia 2-0 in the final. As a result of being named CONCACAF champions, Canada travelled to the Confederations Cup 2001 in Japan, earning a memorable 0-0 draw with Brazil thanks to a stellar performance from Gold Cup Most Valuable Player Craig Forrest. These consecutive victories helped to put Canadian soccer onto the world map and gained the soccer association respect around the world.

In 2007 FC Toronto became the first Canadian team to join the MLS and the only MLS team to be located outside the United States. In their inaugural season Toronto reached the semifinal in the MLS playoffs.  Canada's national team reached the semi-final at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Dale Mitchell was named coach of Canada's senior men's team, to begin duties after the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, held in Canada. The host went out without scoring a goal and losing all three matches. The final was held in front of 20 000 people at the National Soccer Stadium in Toronto, and helped the growth of soccer within the country.

As we continue our journey around the world we head to Spain. Spain is home to the world’s number one ranked national team and club team. As we travel back to Europe, we will look at the unity between the national team and the clubs around the country. Join us next week as we look at two teams looking to make soccer history.

Russian Soccer

Russia is a country built on the rich traditions in ballet and gymnastics. As most of Russia is focused on the country’s main attractions, soccer has built a tradition of its own, separate from these other major sports. Like most of Europe, Russian soccer fans go crazy with national pride. Soccer in Russia has never truly become a powerhouse like most other European nations. The national team is developing like most Asian squads, trying to make a name for themselves on the world stage. In a country with strict rule and a lack in ethnic and sexual diversity, Russian soccer has become just as ignorant to these new ideas.

In recent years, the notion that there could be a nonwhite athlete inside the Russian borders has been met with outcry. When a visiting team has nonwhite athletes on the roster the stadium chants about the, “monkeys” and have been known to throw bananas at the players on the field. Zenit St. Petersburgs  fans even released a manifesto saying, “Dark-skinned players are all but forced down Zenit’s throat now, which only brings out a negative reaction”… adding that gay players were “unworthy of our great city.”

Usually when a group of people fight for tradition it means they are scared of some great, non-existent threat. We see it when gay couples want marriage equality and when atheists fight for equal space in front of a courthouse during the winter. It seems that some Russian soccer fans are scared of their tradition being taken away from them, with minority soccer players taking over their “pure” sport.

The World Cup has always been a mecca for racism between rival nations, but in 2018 the World Cup is headed to Russia. Leaders around the world have come out and said that security will need to be much stricter, fearing for the wellbeing of their players. The World Cup is the most hostile event in the world and takes more security than any other sporting event. The World Cups traditions of heated rivalries and hostile crowds mixed with the soccer (social) traditions of Russia has FIFA wondering if the 2018 World Cup was placed in the best location for the wellbeing of soccer.

Next week we head to our Northern border as we travel to the world’s second largest country, Canada. Soccer in North America is a fairly new sport compared to the rest of the world. Canada is slowly building a quality soccer program on the women’s side while the men’s teams have not progressed quite as easily. Join us next week on World Soccer Traditions.