Oh Cana-Huh?

In the spirit of covering our North American brethren, I had been working on a few articles on Canadian soccer including one on ace Julian De Guzman who is making quite a name for himself at Deportivo La Coruna. That was until I saw the incredible display of poor sportsmanship shown by Canadian fans before the MLS All Star Game last night. After that, I lost my urge to finish a number of pieces on Canadian soccer.

It was one thing when Canadian fans booed the US national anthem before a visiting of U-12 hockey team during the run up to the Iraq War (come on, they were only 12) but this one boggles the mind. The US professional league decides to not only expand into Canada but also holds a showcase event there, only to be received with loud, sustained booing during the US national anthem. The Canadian fans not only showed a lack of respect for their southern neighbors but also a lack of respect for themselves. Were they really so insecure to believe that they would not have a chance to sing Oh Canada (which they did while both teams were on the field)?

MLS shined a spotlight on Toronto this week and what we ended up seeing was just how petty their fans could be. I know plenty of great Canadian fans who love the beautiful game and would never do such a thing. Now, some poor sports in Toronto have “branded” their nation’s fans in a way which must make real Canadian soccer fans feel nothing but shame.