Vancouver soccer fans pack pubs for World Cup match
It was a disappointing loss Sunday morning for soccer fans, after Canada's men's team lost 4-1 to Croatia in the World Cup.
Sports bars in Vancouver were packed with passionate fans cheering on the history-making team despite the major time difference.
The semi-final match was played at 8 a.m. PST, but that didn’t prevent fans like Frank Trentadue from setting his alarm clock early to get a seat at Mahony’s Tavern in False Creek.
"We pulled ourselves out of bed and enjoyed the experience,” Trentadue said.
“We’re fans of the world cup, we were excited to see Canada in the game or in the world cup this time around and because they haven’t been there for so long, it’s pretty special.”
"I can't say one team is better than the other. Even leading up to this, I think they're very well matched,” Daniella Carelli, Trentadue’s wife said.
Carelli is Croatian, creating some friendly tension with her Canadian husband.
The pair were among a crowd of enthusiastic fans who packed the restaurant, many dressed in red and white as Canadian flags hung from the ceiling.
"It's early in the morning here but you still get so many people in, people are excited,” Brian Mahon the Bar Manager of Mahony's said.
“It’s a great way for people to get together and enjoy each other and the city and the game”
The loudest cheers came as Alphonso Davies ended the team’s scoring drought.
Even if it wasn’t a win on the field, it was still a success for pubs and bars like Mahony's that opened early to show the world cup match on the big screen.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Loblaw ends No Name price freeze, vows 'flat' pricing 'wherever possible'
Loblaw will not be extending its price freeze on No Name brand products, but vows to keep the yellow label product-pricing flat 'wherever possible.'

Family in remote northern Ont. reeling after daughter killed in fire, home destroyed
A family in the remote community of Peawanuck, Ont., is dealing not only with the death of their young daughter, but the loss of everything they owned in a Jan. 28 house fire.
opinion | Don Martin: Trudeau meets the moment – and ducks for cover
Based on Justin Trudeau's first-day fail in the House of Commons, 'meeting the moment' is destined to become the most laughable slogan since the elder Pierre Trudeau’s disastrous campaign rallying cry in 1972, which insisted 'the land is strong' just as the economy tanked.
Canada Post honours Chloe Cooley with stamp in time for Black History Month
A young Black woman who resisted her own enslavement in Queenston, Upper Canada, in the late 18th century is being honoured by Canada Post.
Canadian economy grew slightly in November, expected to slow further
The Canadian economy grew by 0.1 per cent in November as higher interest rates began to slow spending toward the end of the year.
Pakistan blames 'security lapse' for mosque blast; 100 dead
Pakistani authorities scrambled Tuesday to determine how a suicide bomber was able to carry out one of the country's deadliest militant attacks in years, unleashing an explosion in a crowded mosque inside a highly secured police compound in the city of Peshawar. The death toll from the blast climbed to 100.
'Laverne & Shirley' actor Cindy Williams dies at 75
Cindy Williams, who was among the most recognizable stars in America in the 1970s and 80s for her role as Shirley opposite Penny Marshall's Laverne on the beloved sitcom 'Laverne & Shirley,' has died, her family said Monday.
Federal agency targeting illegal wildlife trade through financial intelligence
Canada's financial intelligence agency is stepping up the fight against the illicit wildlife trade by taking aim at the criminals who reap big profits from the global racket.
Russian business offers cash bounties to destroy Western tanks in Ukraine
A Russian company said it will offer five million roubles (US$72,000) in cash to the first soldiers who destroy or capture western-made tanks in Ukraine, after the Kremlin vowed Russian forces would wipe out any Western tanks shipped to Ukraine.