Hundreds of Canadian soccer fans gathered at Lansdowne Park on Wednesday afternoon for a watch party of the pivotal World Cup match between Canada and Switzerland, but the home supporters left disappointed after a 2-1 loss.
Canada Falls Behind Early
Switzerland took control of the match in the second half. Ruebén Vargas opened the scoring in the 46th minute, and Johan Manzambi doubled the lead in the 57th minute, putting Canada in a 2-0 hole. Promise David pulled one back for Canada in the 76th minute, but the team could not find an equalizer.
Group B Standings
The loss left Canada in second place in Group B, behind Switzerland. As a result, the Canadian side, which enjoyed home-pitch advantage during group play, will now have to travel to Los Angeles for its first knockout-round game on Sunday.
Fan Reactions at Lansdowne
Ottawa Citizen photographer Tony Caldwell was at Lansdowne Park capturing the emotions of the crowd as the game progressed. The watch party was organized as part of the Natural Watch Party series, one of several being held across the country on June 24, according to an Ottawa Tourism news release.
Despite the loss, fans showed strong support for the Canadian team throughout the match. The atmosphere at Lansdowne was electric, with hundreds of fans cheering on the home side.
Looking Ahead
Canada will now prepare for its knockout-round match in Los Angeles on Sunday. The team will need to regroup quickly after the disappointing result to keep its World Cup hopes alive.
