In neighbourhoods across Toronto and in cities across Canada, soccer fans have splashed buildings, cars and their own clothes in the bright blues of Italy, reds of Portugal and oranges of Denmark -- passionately declaring their support for countries playing in the Euro Cup championship.
German and Spanish flags hang from apartment windows, and the totems of Greece and Ireland have been slung around necks and painted on faces. They are all symbols of other nations and the support they have earned in the world's most popular sport.
While the Euro Cup is Europe's championship, the passion it evokes in so many Canadian residents begs the question: What about Canadian soccer?
Fans of Canada's own soccer program cannot help but dream of a day their team garners such levels of support as it makes its way on to the international stage.
Soccer remains the most-played youth sport in Canada (yes, even more than hockey) but when it comes to international competition, the Great White North has been adrift for some time.
Currently ranked 77th in the world by the FIFA, the sport's international body, Canada's first and only appearance at the World Cup championships came in 1986. They failed to win a game, failed even to score a goal.
The women's program is faring better, currently ranked seventh in the world. They have appeared in each of the last five World Cup championships, but have not passed to the second round since 2003.
But in recent years, the Canadian Soccer Association has seen signs of growth.
The profile of soccer, internationally known as football, in Canada has been on the rise since the country hosted the inaugural FIFA Under 19 Women's World Championship in 2002.
Canada then hosted the FIFA Under 20 World Cup in 2007, which resulted in 1.2 million paying spectators and a heightened awareness of the game throughout the country.
International matches played on Canadian soil have averaged an attendance of 13,146 in 12 games since 2008 – 40 per cent higher than average attendance previous to that.
Canada has also been announced as the host of the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2015, which will be Canada's first international sports event with games held from coast to coast.
The growing wave of interest in soccer has also helped Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal launch franchises in North America's top league – Major League Soccer (MLS).
Stephen Hart, the coach of Canada's national men's team, says the Canadian Soccer Association has done an impressive job promoting the game, and its recent growth can only improve the level of support his team receives at its own games.
"There is a new fan base due to the new Canadian-based MLS teams, and that fan base is spilling over into the Canadian national team," Hart said in a recent telephone interview. "It is a new generation of fans, so to speak. Hopefully, with good results we can grow."
Canada takes aim at World Cup
In a downtown Toronto stadium earlier this month, the Canadian men's soccer team battled its competitors from Honduras to end with a 0-0 tie.
It was a good thing for the national program.
A win would have been preferred, but the draw kept alive Canada's chances of qualifying for the World Cup in 2014 – 28 years after their first and only appearance at the international championship.
It is a long and complicated path to simply qualify for soccer's biggest tournament, beginning with 35 countries eligible for three spots in the World Cup's North American, Central American and Caribbean Zone.
The field has already been whittled down to the 12 best teams, which are currently battling through a qualifying tournament that will see six teams progress.
Two teams from Canada, Honduras, Cuba and Panama will be among the next stage of qualifiers – a tournament to be played next year that will almost certainly feature favourites U.S.A. and Mexico among the pack.
The three best teams at that six-team round robin tournament will earn a spot at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Head coach Stephen Hart cautions that the road to the World Cup remains long, but with the right practice and preparation the goal can be reached.
"This is a much different time period than 1986 (Canada's last World Cup appearance) … the game now, due to globalization, is bigger than ever before. It will just completely change what happens in Canada," Hart said during a recent interview.
An Ipsos Reid poll conducted in 2010 found that 78 per cent of Canadians felt it was important to have their country represented at the 2014 World Cup. And, despite being a nation of immigrants, 86 per cent of Canadian residents polled said they would cheer for Canada first and foremost, should the team make it.
TSN soccer analyst Jason De Vos says soccer has seen strong growth in Canada, and he expects more fans will join the bandwagon as the national program shows signs of success.
"It is getting more and more of a mainstream presence. I think there has been widespread support for the game across the country," De Vos told CTV News Channel this week.
"I think the one thing that really would make a difference in Canada – to see the game to go the next level – would be for our national teams to do well."
Canada's national women's team has already qualified for the Summer Olympics and will compete in London later this summer.
The men's team, meantime, will continue its battle through World Cup qualification process with a game against Panama on September 7. Combined with a previous win over Cuba and a draw with Honduras, a positive result against the Panamanians would help move Canada one step closer to their next World Cup appearance.
"If we can qualify the men for the World Cup in 2014, that would be a huge boost for the coverage of the game in this country, and I am sure we would see the groundswell of support coming from the grassroots level all the way through the national team," De Vos said.
