How was Vancouver’s World Cup bow?
There has been a growing sense that Vancouver could end up being one of the best host cities of the World Cup. And man oh man, did the city, BC Place and those in attendance come through for Vancouver’s first men’s World Cup game.
Getting inside the venue could be a little more challenging than others: nearby Skytrain stations don’t offer direct access into the stadium. Instead, fans were directed through a lengthy walk around False Creek to get into BC Place. It’s a stunning walk (like every stroll through Vancouver) and in the hours leading up to kick-off, fans maintained high energy as they paced through pre-game nerves. The numerous beer gardens along the walk likely didn’t hurt the atmosphere.
Inside the stadium itself, two things stuck out.
First, the freshly laid grass surface, courtesy of a nearby farm (keep it Canadian!), looked sublime. This is the same stadium that usually has an eyesore of a turf surface. For their first men’s World Cup game, BC Place looked night and day.
Full credit, finally, to the Turkish fans. If the first game hosted in Canada yesterday (Canada 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1) will be remembered for an uplifting crowd, the crowd in the second game in Canada will be remembered for being piercing. Deafening roars, booing Australia when they hit the Turkish box; Australian fans had their moments but those in red made their presence known. Put them down as one of the more spirited fan groups of the tournament.
Joshua Kloke
From the NY Times
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7357449...hared_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta
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