It seemed like the calm amid the storm yesterday at the Victoria venue for the FIFA 2007 Under-20 World Cup as the amassed assemblage of officials, supporters, media and teams all seemed to be whale watching or shopping along Government Street.
The Nigerian squad cancelled its scheduled practice at SMUS and was given the day off yesterday as a reward for being 2-0 and assured advancement to the Round of 16 playoffs.
MAKING THE CALL: While Canadians heard veteran CBC announcer Steve Armitage doing the play-by-play of Wednesday's games at Royal Athletic Park, the international audience heard the classic dulcet voice of English veteran Gary Bloom, who with other noted British announcers such as John Helm, are aiding CBC's play-by-play during the U-20 World Cup.
Bloom hails from Oxford, another tourist magnet, and chuckled: "Victoria feels like home with people stopping every few steps to hold up their cameras and snap." Bloom rates his greatest professional thrill as doing the British play-by-play for the semifinal featuring eventual champion Italy and host Germany in last year's senior World Cup.
For some Canadians, it just doesn't feel like soccer on TV unless it's a British announcer making the call with such colourful phrases as "Oh, dear, he made a meal of that one . . ." But Esquimalt-product Armitage argues fans here need to hear more Canadian voices calling games if soccer is to grow in Canada and not forever be thought of as something foreign you only watch once every four years.
THIS BEER'S FOR YOU: Kirin is a prime sponsor on the Japanese practice jerseys, which is somewhat ironic for a junior world championship. But it's never too early to think suds and soccer.
NAME GAME: Many of the Nigerian players dream of following the likes of John Mikel Obi, from their runner-up 2005 U-20 World Cup team, to big-name clubs such as Chelsea. Until then, it's the domestic Nigerian pro league with its evocative team names. The hotly-scouted Brown Ideye comes from the Ocean Boys. Hey, Victoria Ocean Boys would even be a great name for the proposed USL pro team.
