A franchise that has been given up for dead more than once has turned into the most resilient team in the Canadian Football League.
Yeah, it’s kinda their job. But this wasn’t go-through-the-routine cheering. It was jumping up and down, screaming and shouting, into it cheering. Percival Molson Stadium, awash in that distinctive indigo shade of the best uniforms in the league, was rocking in a way that seemed impossible a couple of years ago — before this winning streak harvested a Grey Cup and kept on rolling.
A winning streak that now stands at 13 games was in jeopardy beginning the fourth quarter, with “first loss” written all over it. The Als were behind 26-12. Star safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy had left the game with an injury.
Then quarterback Cody Fajardo went to work, with more than a little help from running-back Walter Fletcher and another dazzling performance from receiver Tyson Philpot. It ended 30-26 and the streak was alive for another week. It had been 295 days since the Als lost, a remarkable statistic no matter what the sport.
The bonkers CFL schedule may yet do to the Alouettes’ streak what their rivals cannot do. They host a good Toronto team Thursday night on five days’ rest, while the Argos have a full week to recover from their loss to Saskatchewan.
In a nine-team league, it should be possible to make sure no team has to play after a short week, but that’s a feat of linear algebra that eludes the CFL. Perhaps the day will come when the gentleman who concocts the schedule can scrape the moss off his trusty abacus and work out a more equitable system. Until then, we’re stuck with a calendar that somehow always favours the team from Toronto.
It doesn’t matter. You play the hand you’re dealt. Five games into this young CFL season, the Alouettes are playing it beautifully.
Under former Montreal Impact coach Jesse Marsch, this team seems tougher, better organized and significantly more willing to play an attacking, aggressive style than the John Herdman squad that was underwhelming at the 2022 World Cup.
Even if Canada fails to improve on a solid performance in a 2-0 loss to Argentina in its tournament opener, this team has made the semifinal in its first Copa America, surviving longer than such perennial powerhouses as the U.S., Mexico and even Brazil, which had 20 minutes to break a 0-0 tie against 10-man Uruguay and could not score before losing on penalties.
Despite the paucity of goals, Canada has been entertaining to watch. This year, both the Copa America and the Euro have suffered from long spells of stultifying soccer. Thirty years after I covered my first World Cup, soccer remains a hidebound sport. Its single real innovation, VAR, seems to exist for the purpose of negating beautiful goals. In any given match, 0-0 is the default score.
In that respect, the Copa America is significantly better than the Euro in that, except for the final, matches that are tied go directly to penalties after 90 minutes, avoiding the worst overtime in sports.
In this morass of dull soccer, diving prima donnas (hello and goodbye, Cristiano Ronaldo) endless VAR reviews and suspect officiating, Canada has been a breath of fresh air. If it’s blowing the right way, perhaps Team Canada can pull off the upset and make it to the Copa America final.
What a way to introduce yourself to the world.
Heroes: Cody Fajardo, Tyson Philpot, Walter Fletcher, Tyrice Beverette, Darnell Sankey, Dionté Ruffin, Maxime Crépeau, Jonathan David, Jacob Shaffelburg, Ismaël Koné, Alphonso Davies, Tajon Buchanan, Moise Bombito, Jesse Marsch, Faith Kipyegon, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Lewis Hamilton &&&& last but not least, Andy Murray.
Zeros: Cristiano Ronaldo, Colten Brewer, Emma Raducanu, FIFA, UEFA, VAR, Bo Bichette, Mark Shapiro, Ross Atkins, the Blue Jays, Chad Kelly, CFL scheduling, Bud Selig Jr., Claude Brochu, David Samson &&&& last but not least, Jeffrey Loria.
Now and forever.