Saints Upset Brings Back Gold Cup Memories

Posted on February 8, 2010

Can you believe it’s been almost ten years since Canada’s Gold Cup victory at the Rose Bowl in California?  The exact date was February 27, 2000.  As the New Orleans Saints pulled off the Super Bowl upset (was it really an upset when the top two teams in the NFL make the final?) it brought back memories of Canada’s greatest soccer moment. 

Sure, some might argue qualifying for the World Cup in 1986 was unbelievable, but the players at the time certainly thought they had a chance.  Did the 2000 Gold Cup side think they had a chance? 

“I don’t think many of us thought we had a realistic chance of winning the whole thing…even the program rated us the 12th team of the 12 team tournament,” remembers the MVP of the tournament Craig Forrest. 

“Every game had a different memory to be honest, from beating Mexico in the quarters to winning the CONCACAF Championship in the semi-final against Trinidad and Tobago.” 

People will remember that Colombia was invited to the tournament and because they are not in CONCACAF, Canada was already heading to Korea and Japan for the 2001 Confederations Cup after winning the semi-final match.  Just getting to the quarters was a story in itself winning the drawing of straws between Costa Rica and Korea Republic after the three countries were tied on every tie-breaker after the group stage.  A victory over Colombia was icing on the cake! 

As Producer of the tournament at Sportsnet, from a television perspective I certainly had the same thought process in trying to budget the tournament.  Gerry Dobson and Bob Lenarduzzi would call the group stage games from a monitor in Toronto and Alf DeBlasis was sent to California as the tournament reporter.  We had budgeted Alf to be there for Canada’s two Group D matches and he would then fly back to Toronto.  So sure was the network Canada would not move out of the group stage Sportsnet did not think they would be in a scheduling conflict with CHL hockey. 

Most of the first half of the Canada/Mexico quarter-final match was not seen live in Canada as Sportsnet could not pick up the game coast to coast until the conclusion of junior hockey.  Ratings at the time had it as the third most watched event in the young network’s history.  Every time I see Richard Hastings’ Golden Goal to send Canada to the semi-finals a big smile comes to my face, not because Canada won and would move on, but instead, because of the uncontrollable laugh you hear from Bob Lenarduzzi when the goal was scored. 

As a former Canadian International and Head Coach it’s certainly tough to separate yourself from such a small community of players and coaches.  The pure joy in Bob’s voice certainly proved how close he was and still is to the team and what an unbelievable moment an entire nation had just witnessed.  Canadian soccer was on the front page of all the national newspapers for the first time I could ever remember.

The final itself was not great for television or spectators as the skies opened up in California for the final.  GOLTV’s colour commentator Jason de Vos scored the game winning goal coming in for a corner kick and getting it well over the line before the keeper tried to pull it out.  The second goal came from Carlo Corazzin on a penalty and, like he did on previous occasions at the Gold Cup and throughout his career, he drove it right up the gut betting the keeper would dive on the play.  Corazzin was the Golden Boot winner of the tournament finding the back of the net on four occasions and the term Holger’s Heroes was coined after the historic victory. 

It’s hard to believe that was ten years ago as it has really been the only positive tournament and happy moment in Canadian soccer since.  The 2003 Women’s World Cup would be a close second as Canada had its best finish of fourth under Even Pellerud.  Canada now has two new National Team Managers and with that I hope the future holds a little bit of the past.  It’s been too many years in between Canada’s successes on the pitch.  Here’s hoping 2010 and the next few years to come create some more great Canadian soccer memories.