National Post
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Whose game?
The World Cup demonstrates 'the flexibility of the Canadian identity' as our citizens cheer passionately for foreign nations
Natalie Alcoba, National Post
Published: Saturday, June 03, 2006
Don't be fooled by the multiplicity of national colours in the window of Pins N Flags on Spadina Avenue -- there is only one allegiance here and that is to the World Cup of soccer.
For about a month now, and for another month still, the most-watched sporting event in the world has driven and will drive sales here.
All soccer gear, from flags to dog tags to ballcaps to wristbands, has been pushed to the front of the small store. The owners have strategically stocked up on jerseys for fan favourites and championship contenders such as Italy, Brazil and Portugal. New orders are placed every hour.
"Everything else is dead for us," says owner Veena Gupta, who has operated the family business with her husband, Sat, for 14 years. "For now, we only sell soccer-related stuff."
The products come from the Far East (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong), but will end up on the backs and cars and around the wrists of local soccer fans who embrace their complex identities during the month-long tournament.
The FIFA World Cup, which starts Friday in Germany, is a decadent showcase of the Beautiful Game -- 90-minute dramas played out on grassy stages with heroes and villains, storybook endings and gut-wrenching heartache.
For many, the event is laced with nostalgia.
It conjures memories of barefoot children playing soccer on Trinidad's beaches and passionate Portuguese men chucking plastic cups at television screens.
Many Italians can tell you where they were when the Azzurri beat West Germany in 1982; a father remembers tossing his baby boy up in the air after Argentina's 1978 victory; and, everywhere you look, the newest soccer fans proudly sport the colours of countries they have never seen.
Soccer, for this month at least, is as much about patriotism as it is about sport.
"For a lot of us, it is our link to home," Andrew Cashin says, an England supporter who was born three years after the country basked in its only World Cup victory, in 1966. Born and raised outside of Liverpool, he grew up dreaming that the jubilation would repeat itself. "We want to have our own memories, we want to have our own, 'Do you remember when?' " says Mr. Cashin, who lives north of Toronto and is chairman of The Official Liverpool Supporters Club.
This instinct to revert to one's ethnic origins speaks to the "flexibility of the Canadian identity," says academic Peter Donnelly.
"Citizenship is not an either/or situation," says the University of Toronto professor in charge of the school's Centre for Sport Policy.
He says many Torontonians boast a "complex identity," both fiercely Canadian and proud of their roots.
Soccer fans relish the opportunity to cheer for a country they left behind or were raised to love from afar. It makes the city a "wonderful laboratory" to observe how different nationalities coexist, Mr. Donnelly says.
He will, undoubtedly, attend at least one street party.
World Cup fever manifests itself in similar fashion regardless of ethnic enclave: "When the games are going on, everything is quiet. The street looks deserted," says Lino Colangelo, who owns and operates Ital Records on St. Clair Avenue.
Afterward, jubilant supporters of the winning team spill onto city streets, honking car horns, blasting music and spreading the kind of joy that comes from a team inching closer and closer to the finals.
Torontonians in the throes of soccer mania make for good business.
"Whether they win or lose, they still feel patriotic," Mr. Colangelo says. He has stocked his store predominantly with Italian paraphernalia, but includes gear for other touted teams.
There is a certain amount of risk involved in catering to a sporting event like the World Cup, which is deliciously difficult to predict.
Pins N Flags, which counts Canadian souvenirs and international pins among its year-round products, has already ordered about 1,000 World Cup jerseys for local team favourites, but will watch to see how the tournament develops. "When we see things are going well for one team, we order more in," said Ms. Gupta. She said it is largely a guessing game, which can leave vendors scrambling to provide flags for underdog winners or, conversely, with a pile of unpopular jerseys.
All told, the World Cup will generate about $50,000 in revenue for Pins N Flags.
It will do wonders for the city's restaurants and bars, some of which have labelled themselves nation-specific headquarters.
Cafe Diplomatico, in the heart of Little Italy, has gone all-out, buying advertising airtime on The Fan 590 and commissioning posters to promote its various events. The Toronto institution has teamed up with Puma and Amsterdam Beer and spent a hefty budget to outfit the venue with 10 television screens on the patio and one large screen inside.
At the end of the tournament, all 10 televisions will be given away to customers.
And while the cafe is located in a neighbourhood most popular with Italians, Portuguese and citizens of the Hipster Republic, those who pull up a chair hail from all nationalities.
Of course, there can only be one winner, so coalitions emerge as teams get knocked out. Italians may side with an Argentine team, or vice versa; if Brazil wins, everyone seems to celebrate.
For some fans, this World Cup marks the first time they will cheer for their own country.
Henry Doodnath, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, is pumped to be able to wear his own colours inside and out of his Etobicoke restaurant, Caribbean Breeze, as the island country makes its World Cup debut.
"Everybody is so proud and so happy to be in the World Cup," says Mr. Doodnath, who usually supports Brazil because the team's short passes remind him of soccer at home.
"We don't care if we win. We're just happy to be in the World Cup."
BLOOR STREET WEST (SOUTH KOREA)
Korea Town, which runs along Bloor Street from Bathurst to Christie, will be sprinkled with Korean bandanas worn in support of the South Korean team, affectionately known as The Reds by their legion of supporters, in turn affectionately known as The Twelfth. (Each team has 11 players on the field.)
For authentic Korean atmosphere, try Cafe Chodae 325 (666 Manning Ave., just north of Bloor). It's a great little table-barbecue place with equal room on the patio and inside. Which is a good thing, because the TV sits at the open window so patio-goers can enjoy the soccer along with their Soju cocktails under a full awning. Although they usually open at 5 p.m., they'll be open for all the South Korea games.
Owner Sean Lee said the neighbourhood gets very loud when South Korea's in the World Cup, but "the neighbours understand."
Clinton's (693 Bloor) might not have Korean street cred, but it does have the biggest TV in Korea Town. During the 2002 World Cup, Clinton's drew a massive crowd for South Korea's final game of the tournament, which was at 7 a.m. The bar has since installed bay windows that face out on to Bloor, where the street will no doubt be taken over should South Korea make it to the second round.
DUNDAS/COLLEGE (PORTUGAL)
Little Portugal, which runs along Dundas Street West and also includes much of College Street from Crawford to Dufferin, will be chaotic during the World Cup.
Nova Era Bakery (770 College St.) is one of seven bakeries owned by the same family, but you'll want to be at the College Street location for Portugal's games. Only this Nova Era serves beer, and it features a huge patio where the action will be projected onto a massive screen visible to passersby. Manager Benvinda Dias expects the cafe to be packed for the games.
''The staff obviously gets into it, too," she said. "We watch the games when we get a chance; it's a laid-back operation we run here." While you're there, try one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the city or some of their rich custard tarts.
The tension will be as thick as the layer of dust that sits atop this bar's two big-screen televisions at Portugal Billiards (1197 Dundas St. W.) when Portugal takes the field against Angola on Sunday, June 11.
When Portugal gets knocked out, the area turns its allegiance to Brazil.
YONGE & STEELES (IRAN)
When Iran qualified for the World Cup, Toronto's Iranian community celebrated in Thornhill. Expect the same should Iran make it past a tough group stage.
The most popular spot, 1001 Nights, says they won't be showing the games this year, so the action will move to Karoon Restaurant (5 Glen Cameron Rd.). Tucked away in a commercial plaza just off Yonge, north of Steeles, Karoon's wide-open banquet feel is perfect for their pull-down screen setup. "This is huge for the Iranian community in Toronto," says owner Shahab Shoghi. "I think we are going to close down Yonge Street."
RONCESVALLES VILLAGE (POLAND)
Roncesvalles will be a sea of red and white -- for Poland's flag, not Canada's.
At Chopin Restaurant (165 Roncesvalles Ave.), owner Anna Pindoir is planning a barbecue stacked with Polish sausage for Poland's opener against Ecuador at 3 p.m. on Friday.
Another authentic option along Roncesvalles is a hole in the wall called Inter Steer (361 Roncesvalles Ave.). The owner is Polish and in the afternoons (i.e., game time) most of the clientele is as well. Inter Steer has standard cable, so it might not get all Polish games, but as one regular said, "All it takes to get it to a channel is having four people who can agree on it." So if you and three friends make it in, you should be fine.
EGLINTON WEST (TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO)
Rivalries between the island nations will likely be put on hold as local Caribbeans throw their support behind Trinidad and Tobago's team, known to fans as the Soca Warriors.
When the Soca Warriors enter into battle at the World Cup for the first time, you'll want to be at Roti King (1688 Eglinton Ave. W.).
With a satellite feed, all of the Trinidad games will be live. And this place has some of the area's best and cheapest roti. If you're not that hungry, they have cheap beer and doubles, a sort of mini-roti that comes in pairs. "It's going to be big time in here," says owner Ganesh Harricharah, who is planning a party for next Saturday's opener against Sweden.
A little farther west is JJ's Place (1885 Eglinton Ave. W.). Your feet will stick to the floor and the tables might wobble from the daily domino competitions, but JJs Place is a truly Trinidadian bar that touts itself as having the best jerk chicken and oxtail in town. JJs will be showing Trini games on a couple of modest TVs.
CORSO ITALIA
In a scene of spontaneous celebration when Italy won the World Cup in 1982, some 300,000 people poured onto the streets of the Corso Italia strip along St. Clair Avenue West.
This year, a stretch of St. Clair will be closed during all Italian games. With plenty of great cafes, bars and restaurants to choose from, the best place for Italy's matches will be A.C. Ranch Sport Bar (1220 St. Clair). It's been here 35 years, and has room for about 200.
A.C. Ranch has a satellite feed (all games will be live), a small patio and three big-screen TVs -- all you really need to enjoy a good game of soccer. Owner Rino Castrignano is also planning a barbecue, plus there are specialty coffees and an ice-cream bar. Twelve staffers will be working, as opposed to the normal four. "It gets unbelievable here during the games," Mr. Castrignano says. "We're an Italian bar, but we get all kinds of people. And there's always lots to talk about after each game. Controversy, opinions; everybody has some input."
Mexican fans who crave Corso Italia's intensity have Mi Casa Cafe & Restaurant (1261A St. Clair W.), a tiny Mexican outpost in the heart of Italian territory. It has four wall-mounted flat-screen TVs. Mi Casa was a busy place during Mexico's warm-up games, and there will likely be a shortage of chairs once the big games start.
For more information about the area during the World Cup:
www.stclairkickit.ca.
THE DANFORTH
Greece did not qualify for the World Cup, so the Danforth will be much more subdued than when Greece won the Euro Cup in Portugal two summers ago. ''We all love soccer anyway, so we'll be watching,'' says Christos Maras, one of the managers at Cafe Frappe (519 Danforth Ave.). The cafe, at the corner of Fenwick, will have TVs set up inside and on its patio throughout the World Cup.
ETOBICOKE (SERBIA & MONTENEGRO)
Zam Aleksandra's Restaurant and Bar (1340 The Queensway, Etobicoke) is a favourite of Toronto's Serbian community, especially when there's soccer on. It has two floors and will be showing games on both. With big-screen projectors and room for 180 people, finding a good spot to see the games shouldn't be a problem. Zam has the Balkan mainstay veal and pork dishes, and you'll want to try a glass or two of Sljvica, a plum brandy, or Loza, a type of grappa.
LE SAINT-TROPEZ (FRANCE)
In the heart of the theatre district, one spot will be full of French fans watching all the World Cup drama unfold. Le Saint-Tropez (315 King St. W.) is one of Toronto's best French restaurants -- and it has big-screen TVs. Le Saint-Tropez has a large garden patio where, should France have a good tournament, the Champagne will flow.
AND LASTLY ...
The Goethe-Institut at 163 King St. W. will be showing Germany's games. Entry is free, but there is no food or drink available and they will not be showing the opening game on Friday to the public.