By Philip O’Connor
VANCOUVER, June 26 (Reuters) – Canada held their last training session in Vancouver on Friday before heading to Los Angeles to face South Africa in the World Cup round of 32, and while they would have loved to stay on home soil, forward Tani Oluwaseyi said they thrive in “hostile environments”.
Canada’s defeat by Switzerland in their final group game saw them finish second in Group B, a result which means it is the Swiss who will play their first knockout game in Vancouver.
“I think we, I wouldn’t say prefer, but we really like a hostile environment,” Oluwaseyi told reporters at the team’s training base.
“We really like an away crowd, because it just gives you that extra motivation to prove all the fans around you wrong.”
Oluwaseyi and his team mates have spent plenty of time competing in the United States in recent years, with the Americans hosting or co-hosting the 2024 Copa America and the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
“I think for us, it’s just been over the last two years we’ve been in two tournaments together, so we’ve done Copa together, we did the Gold Cup as well. So I think it’s just growing together and failing together, succeeding together,” said Oluwaseyi.
“I think all those things kind of brew together to put us in the position that we’re in now, to head into a knockout game at a World Cup.”
Jesse Marsch’s side built strong bonds during those tournaments, and Oluwaseyi said it was more a feeling of unity than a siege mentality that made the squad so tight.
“I wouldn’t say it has a lot to do with us against them – I think, for us, it’s always just been us, that’s really all that matters. The guys in the locker room and going to play with those guys,” he added.
“The results, they go our way, sometimes they don’t, but at the end of the day, I think it’s just the love that we have being around each other and playing with each other.”
Team mate Tajon Buchanan said they would take the trip south in their stride for the match against South Africa, who finished second in Group A, five points behind Mexico.
“Now we’re in a knockout phase of a World Cup, and it’s exactly where we want to be, so, yeah, it’s just about going out there, competing and winning games. We’re all super excited and looking forward to it,” he told reporters.
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
