TORONTO — Cheers broke out among soccer fans gathered in Toronto on Wednesday as the Canadian women's team defeated Ireland at the FIFA Women's World Cup.
The 2-1 win was the first victory at the tournament for Canada, after a scoreless draw with Nigeria last week.
Applause went up from fans, many wearing red Canada shirts, who gathered for a viewing party at a restaurant in downtown Toronto early on Wednesday as the game played out on screens around them.
Amy Loquinario said she, her husband and their daughter left their home in Mississauga, Ont., at 5:30 a.m. to make it to the party in time.
"It was really an early morning for us," said Loquinario, whose daughter plays soccer. "It was really important for us to support the women."
Loquinario said she wanted her daughter to see the women's team being supported, just as the Canadian men's team was.
"You see the men getting promoted a lot," she said. "So this is big, for her to see the women that she can look up to."
Karen Daigle, who was with her daughter at the viewing party, was similarly excited about the women's team.
"I think it’s really good to have events like this to pump up the sport," she said. "They’ve got a really deep roster, and I think with their coach they’re going to go really far."
Fourteen-year-old Isabelle Murphy, who has played soccer for five years, said watching the game with a crowd was a great experience.
"There's a lot of excitement," she said.
With four points from two games, seventh-ranked Canada now faces No. 10 Australia in its final group game Monday in Melbourne, with top spot in Group B likely at stake.
Clarissa Larisey, a first-year forward for Team Canada who didn't travel to the World Cup, said her teammates were ready for what comes next.
"Everyone in this World Cup is bringing their A-game and putting everything on the pitch,” she said. “It’s gonna be really good competition.”
The team has spent a lot of time preparing mentally as well as physically for the tournament, Larisey said, and that could give them an edge.
"Off the pitch, we do a lot more team-building, building mental strength and being vulnerable," she said. "It’s what we believe we need to do to be the best in such a big tournament."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2023.
Kiernan Green, The Canadian Press
