MONTREAL — Soccer fans in Montreal were left heartbroken after the Canadian women's soccer team lost to Germany in the quarterfinal of the Paris Olympics on Saturday. But fans said they still have plenty of reasons to cheer.
“It’s my sport. It’s my country,” said Stéphane Halpin, sporting a cap emblazoned with the maple leaf, and wearing a Canadian soccer jersey and a red-and-white scarf at Bar St-Laurent Frappé. He had thought the team — “one of the best we’ve had in a long time" — would go far in the competition.
But he couldn't hide his disappointment at the result. “It’s an upset,” he said. “I thought they would win."
The game ended 0-0 in regular time and remained deadlocked in extra time, so it all came down to spot kicks, during which Canada went down 4-2.
Tami Piovesan, originally from Mildmay, Ont., now calls Montreal home. She said she has been following women's soccer since she was 10 years old. She said that during the 2021 Tokyo Games, watching Kadeisha Buchanan, a titan in team Canada's backline, help the women’s team conquer gold was an inspiration.
“As a (defender), it was amazing to see such a strong powerful woman in that position,” she said. “It was game changing for me.”
But this year's Games for the women's team has not been without controversy. The team was docked six points during the group stage after a staffer was caught using a drone to spy on New Zealand team practices.
“Despite all the setbacks, they really rallied,” Piovesan said. “I’m still really proud of them.”
For Piovesan, the team’s run was also impressive because they pushed through without Christine Sinclair, one of the most celebrated players in the game, who retired in 2023.
Alexander Beaumont agrees. “The team this year got through a lot of controversy, got through a lot of adversity … They played really, really well.”
Beaumont has been watching the women’s game for the past 20 years. He had been relishing a semifinal encounter with Canada’s American rivals, but there is always the next game.
Germany will play the United States in Lyon on Tuesday after they beat Japan 1-0.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2024.
Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press
