Canada at the World Cup So Close But Yet, So Far…

Ron MacLean & Don Cheery -Getty Images, photo

Canada’s team fell short Wednesday in its big test against Switzerland, coming close, but not able to tie the Swiss in the late stages of the game. Still, they live on to face the joyous South African team in Los Angeles this Sunday.

There was huge hype in Vancouver for Wednesday’s game, with Vancouverites taking to the streets and packing the BC Place Stadium for the big event. For its part, the Toronto Stadium looked makeshift and shaky for its first hosting.

The pursuit of the almighty dollar has taken the World Cup by storm, with advertisers and particularly sports betting firms (which will go unnamed to avoid giving them even more coverage) partaking enthusiastically in the “hydration break” opportunity mid-way in each half of the FIFA Games. These breaks undoubtedly give the players water to help get them through the game.

But the advertisers took advantage of the extra time to pack in several quickie ads and keep the money flowing for FIFA and the networks. The coaches also took advantage by making small adjustments in their deployment of their players.

Meanwhile one of Canada’s great sporting traditions has also fallen prey to the search for more money. On June 16, the CBC and Rogers Sports Net announced that they were not able to reach agreement to renew their broadcast deal. Rogers had in 2013 first secured a 12-year 5.2 billion rights deal with the NHL. 

Many Canadians grew up with iconic Hockey Night in Canada broadcasters like Danny Gallivan, Foster Hewitt, Bob Cole, Ron MacLean and that old curmudgeon, Don Cheery.

​Rogers itself said that HNIC had consistently ranked among its top five programs reaching on average 7.5 million Canadians each week. For a small population country like Canada, that’s a lot.
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​For its part, the CBC gave up on its mainstay program, ostensibly because of the success of their broadcast of amateur athletics and, in particular, its presentation of the recent Milano-Cortina Olympic Games.

But let’s face it, Olympic athletes are not quite so pure as they once were, taking sponsorships and advertising opportunities which mean they can, rightfully, live a normal life where their sport is essentially their job.

Hockey enthusiasts and commentators swiftly came to the defense of HNIC. Hockey analyst and podcaster Jeff March says it’s not just a loss for sports fans for Canadian culture more broadly.

Canadians are in an “elbows up” mood (note the hockey reference) with U.S. President Donald Trump’s frequent and insulting references to Canada as the USA’s 51st State.

So, dumping HNIT touched a nerve.

“I can’t imagine it,” said Michael McKenley, author of Hockey Night in Canada: Sixty Seasons: “I mean, I can imagine it, I don’t want it imagine it.”

Canadian disgruntlement in the hockey world, leaks into the football world as well.

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Jesse Marsch

The Toronto Globe and Mail acerbic columnist, Cathal Kelly, has written that “Canada crumbles against Switzerland, and tumbles from atop its perch.”

Kelly was also strongly critical of Jesse Marsch, the American coach of the Canadian Men’s football team for earlier marching around the stadium aggressively celebrating Canada’s crushing 6-0 win over Qatar.

Marsch is known for his high pressure and confident style, which some Canadians find unbecoming to the traditionally “polite” Canadian way. 

Yet, we must keep in mind that March has brought the men’s team a long way and molded an intensely loyal and proud Canadian team.  Where would we be now in the World Cup without him?


​Across football or “Canada’s game” of hockey, the true winner of late is the pursuit of money. We will have to pay to watch NHL hockey on television now that it will no longer be on the CBC. 
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Sports Journalist Simon Houpt concludes on the demise of Hockey Night in Canada:
“Capitalism led to this moment.”

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