Waving Flag of Canada is a pure joy for players

Key takeaways: 

• Deciding a win over Mexico shows this world cup run is no coincidence. 
• Canada’s Alistair Johnston waves the flag to celebrate a 2-1 victory over Mexico in world cup qualifiers in Edmonton on Nov 16. 

Success is sometimes followed by disquieting impacts. In sports, the most successful teams have a style of becoming gleeless. We call them Juggernauts, as they convert into machines. For them, defeating feels worse than triumphing feels joyful. The win doesn’t bring them or their backer’s happiness, it consoles them. 

The Canadian men’s soccer team has more than always played the underdog. The shortage of upward mobility has been maddening for long-time fans. Smaller nations like Trinidad and Tobago or Honduras have defeated us routinely; we’ve never had an opportunity contra the juggernauts. Canada has appeared in the Men’s World Cup only once, in 1986; in three matches, that team didn’t score one single goal and came back home. 

Also read: Canadians book vendors are grappling, but in the way, you may think

That’s the hash total of the Canadian men on the worldwide stage: They have offered neither happiness nor relief. Just a gap where feelings should be.

Contemplate that void filled. With their 2-1 victory over Mexico on Tuesday night, the present men’s team has pervaded its followers with emotion. 

The good feelings initiated surfacing early when Commonwealth Stadium was converted by desire and several serious wind chill into Estadio Iceteca, the bone-chilling similar of Mexico’s prominently formidable Azteca. Alistair Johnston, the hardy Canadian defender, appeared to cheer in shirtsleeves. He was a standout in another method during most of the filthy first half, as alight as any fire.

With the half winding down, he chose to opportunity a long, looping shot toward the goal. The rock-hard ball struck the perfectly frozen turf in front of Guillermo Ochoa, the flamboyant Mexican keeper. He spilt it. Cyle Larin pounced, striking the loose ball into the back of the net.