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BROOK JONES \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
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Hundreds of soccer fans attend an outdoor watch party of the 2026 FIFA World Cup match between Canada and Qatar on a giant screen at the Lyric Theatre in Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, Thursday.<\/p>\n
Cheers and applause could be heard throughout the park as the sea of red and white at Lyric Theatre took in the match, which was dominated by Canada. Officials estimated 4,000 attended the event.<\/p>\n
Funded by $50,000 from the government of Manitoba and supported by Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism, this is the first time a World Cup gathering has been hosted at the park.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving a World Cup here in Canada, it\u2019s such a big event, it\u2019s really nice to share this sense of pride and passion with the community, said life-long soccer enthusiast, Ben Crivici, who had a Canadian flag draped across his shoulders.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough we\u2019re not in the stadium itself, this experience allows us to get as close as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was barely able to answer questions as he watched Canadian striker Jonathan David score Canada\u2019s second goal \u2014 the crowd erupted in celebration.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t BROOK JONES \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Nigel Wilcox, left, and his wife Allison Wilcox, celebrate after Team Canada scored its first goal of the match.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel great,\u201d he said, as the crowd roared. \u201cSeeing everyone celebrate in the same way is awesome and I feel proud of our team. That we\u2019ve made it this far, that we can put on a display like this.\u201d<\/p>\n Canada\u2019s victory was led by David, who went on to score a hat trick, while Cyle Larin put away his second goal of the tournament.<\/p>\n Sunny Rakhra, who has played soccer much of her life, said she\u2019s never seen this side of the city\u2019s soccer community.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an experience we\u2019ve never had,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Growing up in Winnipeg, Rakhra said she feels the strong showing Thursday indicates \u201cgood momentum\u201d for the sport\u2019s future in the city and across Canada.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t BROOK JONES \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Matt Milne, right, cheers for Team Canada with his wife Carmen Milne and their daughter Olive.<\/p>\n \u201cThis could be a turning point,\u201d she said. \u201cI think there\u2019s lots of room to grow in Winnipeg and Manitoba soccer.\u201d<\/p>\n She hopes as Canada continues to win in the tournament and that the watch parties continue.<\/p>\n Not just diehard fans attended the event. Hala Nani said while she is not a huge soccer supporter, she wanted to be a part of the movement, calling the event a symbol of Canadian unity.<\/p>\n \u201cWe support each other, we support our country, so everyone is here to support Canada,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to share it with the community \u2026 I could watch it at home, but it\u2019s nice to be a part of all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n Some fans were multi-tasking to make sure they could watch the match. Valeria Hernandez, who is in Winnipeg from Colombia, was attending a work meeting on her laptop while she watched Canada\u2019s victory.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t BROOK JONES \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Tapan Patel brought his Canada flag to the watch party.<\/p>\n \u201cI have been here since last week and I haven\u2019t felt the FIFA World Cup vibe since today,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Scott Dixon, executive director of Winnipeg Youth Soccer Association, said the fact Canada has shown up to the tournament as a contender, and not just a participant, is no fluke. He said efforts to produce elite players and teams have been a focus of people involved with the sport.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s phenomenal to see, it truly is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat that means is that commitment that has been put into the game, all the way from the grassroots level, all the way to the professional level, is truly showing now,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not just here because we\u2019ve been given a spot. Canada is playing like we\u2019ve earned a spot here.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a moment of concern in the crowd, as Canada lost a key player early in the second half when midfielder Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9 was taken off the field on a stretcher for a serious leg injury. However, for Raquel Torres, how the squad handled the loss of a crucial player, was a key moment.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t BROOK JONES \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Footie fans Brian Triminio, 34, and Jackson Grier, 44, attend the watch party.<\/p>\n \u201cJust seeing the whole team\u2019s reaction, and everyone all over Canada really feeling that weight of losing a really great player in such an unfortunate way,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd then just seeing how everyone rallied around him, fought back and gave it their all, it just gives me such an immense sense of pride.\u201d<\/p>\n Thinking about the win, Torres said she hopes more victories are in store for Canada.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir confidence has kind of skyrocketed since the last game, and I hope that momentum goes into the next two games,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t BROOK JONES \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Isac Myskiw, 12, was inspired to work on his soccer skills.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t BROOK JONES \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n A soccer fan cheers on Team Canada.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t
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