Italy soccer fans in Toronto are gearing up to cheer on Team Canada.
“There's no doubt in my mind, all of us in [the Italian] community are 100 per cent behind this Canadian team,” said Marco Antonucci, who grew up in the GTA and played professionally for Toronto Italia of the Canadian National Soccer League in the 1990s.
“Frankly, any [Italian-] Canadian, but particularly if you're second generation or third generation, you should be supporting Canada. You can support Italy, there's no problem with supporting two teams, but if they were playing each other in the World Cup, you should stick to Canada and support Canada. I will ultimately stick with Canada but I know it'll be a betrayal to a lot of friends.
“There's disappointment in the Italian community. It's been eight years and [there’s] a lot of disappointment, especially knowing they have a really strong team. Not qualifying at this stage, it's heartbreaking and disappointing for sure, to say the least.” Nicolucci was in high school when the Azzurri beat France on penalty kicks to win the World Cup in 2006. He watched the game at a jam-packed bar near St. Clair Avenue West and Dufferin Street.
Rocco Mastangelo Jr. is the owner of Café Diplomatico, a famous Little Italy restaurant and social hub, where fans have gathered to watch soccer for decades. But convincing fans to come out and support Canada in the November and December cold will be no small feat. The tournament is normally held in the summer, when people can watch the games outdoors on patios.
Mastangelo Jr. says Torontonians of all ethnic backgrounds come to Café Diplomatico to watch World Cup games and this year will be no different. But for the first time in almost 40 years, there will be a team they can all support together. They’re the worst-ranked team in their group, but many believe they have enough goal-scoring prowess to surprise opposing teams.
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