B.C. soccer fans excited for World Cup clash between Croatia and Argentina
Hundreds of people are expected at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver
The Croatian Cultural Centre is preparing to welcome hundreds of people on Tuesday for the World Cup semi-final match between Croatia and Argentina.
The community hall on Commercial Drive has been hosting World Cup viewing parties since the tournament began. With Croatia in the semi-finals, organizers are expecting attendance to swell on Tuesday as people come to cheer on their team.
"It's like the Stanley Cup if it was played between nations. It's that kind of feeling for Croatians," said Michael Jenkins, the managing director of the Croatian Cultural Centre. "They're a nation of real athletes, but they all choose soccer."
Tuesday will mark Croatia's second consecutive World Cup semi-final appearance when they square off against two-time tournament champions Argentina — a team that will be looking for revenge after losing to Croatia 3-0 in their last meeting in 2018.
It's a game that means everything to Croatian supporters who have never seen the country lift the World Cup trophy.
"It's a work day. There might be some absenteeism in East Vancouver and Burnaby," said Jenkins.
Watch | Fans celebrate Croatia's victory over Brazil:
Strong Croatian presence throughout B.C.
Croatia has a strong presence in British Columbia, with 23,750 people in the province identifying as being ethnically or culturally Croatian in the latest federal census, 14,670 in the Vancouver metropolitan area and the rest distributed throughout the province.
Barbara Dumbovic, the owner of Barb's Delights restaurant in Kelowna, says she was "screaming in the restaurant" after hearing Croatia had advanced to the next round of the tournament, while the country's flag flies outside houses in other cities such as Prince George.
Jenkins says a lot of Croatians began migrating to Canada after the end of the Second World War and that work to build the Croatian Cultural Centre began in the 1980s, along with the construction of the SkyTrain.
"It was the tradesmen who put the centre together. They mortgaged their homes to buy the land, and they fundraised for years to get the money for the construction. They literally built it with their own hands," said Jenkins.
Argentinian fans expect a tough matchup
But Argentina considered one of the greatest soccer nations in the world, has plenty of its own fans — and they have plenty of reason to be optimistic about their chances of advancing to the final.
Gustavo Lin lives in Vancouver but was born and raised in Argentina.
"It's definitely been a roller coaster," he said in an interview, recalling the shock he and other fans experienced when Argentina lost the opening match of the group stage to Saudi Arabia. "But I think the team was able to learn from that game."
It's been 36 years since the team took home a World Cup, but fans are confident the team, currently ranked no. 3 in the world can do it.
Lin isn't expecting an easy opponent in Croatia, but he believes Argentina is up for the challenge.
"I think [Tuesday's] going to be a very tough game. It is going to be a close game. I'm hoping to be at least 2-1 in favour of Argentina."
He adds that while the team is dealing with some injuries, he's optimistic that some of the Argentine substitutes can step up, and of course, he's expecting a strong performance from superstar Lionel Messi.
While Lin will be watching from home before he heads to work, some brave Argentinian fans are also expected to be at the Croatian Cultural Centre to cheer on their national team on Tuesday.
"We really wanted this to be a place for everybody … We're the cultural centre not just for the Croatian community but East Vancouver. We partnered with the Vancouver Latin American Community Centre and a Dutch group about making this their home for the tournament as well," said Jenkins.
Croatians confident
Croatian fans are confident they can spoil the party.
"You can't be anything but confident. We just beat Brazil, and we did it with one shot on goal. Imagine if we had two," said Jenkins. "Everybody here is very confident."
"They're going to beat Argentina … The Croatians never give up, and the boys will never give up. They love their country, and they love to do this," said Dumbovic.
During a time when British Columbians face high inflation, rising costs, and concerns over a tripledemic, Jenkins says it's meaningful to be able to host events that distract from daily challenges.
"We're celebrating the ability to celebrate as well," said Jenkins.
Regardless of the result on Tuesday, Barbara Dumbovic says she will be proud of her national team.
"We are just so proud to be known in the world and to be known for soccer … We're just proud."
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With files from Josh Grant and Daybreak South