Canadas womens national soccer team lifts hearts with 1-0 Montreal win on Celebration Tour
It was an undeniably cold and rainy night, but Team Canada fans came out in droves at Saputo Stadium to give a warm welcome to the players after their epic Tokyo 2020 Olympic run.
The Olympic champions made a pitstop in Montreal to play against New Zealand during their Celebration Tour.
Players came onto the pitch donning their gold medals, which they snatched from their archrivals, Team USA.
The crowd was loud and roared as each player entered the field, reserving special energy for captain Christine Sinclair and goalie Stéphanie Labbé.
âIt really warmed our hearts to see so many people come, even during bad weather,â said Team Canada defender Gabrielle Carle.
âThey brought so much energy to the game. It was a very, very cool ambiance.â
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Read more: Canadian goalkeeper Stephanie Labbe shares mental health struggles during Tokyo Olympics
The moment was all the more special to Carle, who is from Quebec and was playing in her home province as a member of Team Canada for the first time in her career.
âThatâs an experience Iâll cherish for the rest of my life for sure,â Carle said, adding that many friends and family came to show their support.
âIt was so cool. I would just look up at the end of the game and see my friends and was like, âWhoa, youâre here, I didnât even know!'â
This is the second of two friendly games against New Zealand, the co-host of the 2023 Womenâs World Cup along with Australia.
The first was in Ottawa on Oct. 23, where Canada took it 5-1.
After winning gold, members of the Canadian team returned to their respective club teams.
The two-game tour was a chance for players to celebrate their big win with their fans on home soil.
Read more: Olympic success could be a boost to womenâs, girlsâ soccer across Canada
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Aspiring soccer stars also attended the game and even got to meet their heroes in person.
âItâs amazing; theyâre my idols. Iâve looked up to them since I was a young girl,â said Katerina Vassilounis, a player at Quebecâs REX soccer program, an elite program that brings together the best players at the national youth level under 20.
âSeeing that they cannot only win but also come here and play itâs amazing. Iâve never seen them play live before, itâs my first time, so itâs a big deal. Itâs really cool, Iâm really excited,â Vassilounis said.
For others at the stands, players were family or long-time friends.
âItâs amazing to be able to see this, to be able to watch the best team in the world right now⦠weâre really lucky to have that in Montreal,â said Samantha Rogers, who came to support a friend in Team Canada.
For Pascal Labonté, it was a chance he couldnât miss. âItâs like a dream come true. Itâs a great moment,â he said.
But the game was not only about celebrations.
Read more: Former Vancouver Whitecaps womenâs coach charged with sexual offences
Shortly before kickoff, players came together at the centre of the pitch and held together in a moment of silence in honour of those who have suffered abuse while playing the sport, something that was also done in the previous game in Ottawa.
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The initiative comes as the former coach of Canadaâs U20 national womenâs team, Bob Birarda, faces charges of sexual assault and exploitation.
The Canadian National Womenâs National Team Players Association had previously called on Canada Soccer to build a safer environment for athletes and start a third party investigation looking into allegations against Birarda, among other demands.
Soccer Canada has agreed to honour them.
2:01 The Queenâs Gaels are off to a solid start in OUA womenâs soccer. The Queenâs Gaels are off to a solid start in OUA womenâs soccer.© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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