Winnipeg fans share cheers and tears during Canada's historic World Cup game
Soccer fans and Canadian sports lovers packed watch parties Sunday to catch the Canadian Men's National Soccer Team's historic World Cup run.
It was an early Sunday wake-up call for those wanting to catch Canada face-off against the 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia.
"Very excited," said Glen Hampton, who was cheering for Canada. "I think down south they were calling it the red wave, and I think we got it up here."
Watch parties like the one at the King's Head Pub were packed with red and white clad fans.
"It's electric in there. I've been having so much fun. There are chants. There are tables full of people getting to know each other and supporting Canada," said Matthew White, who was watching the game at the bar.
"There's nothing better, honestly," said Chris Czescik, another fan at the watch party. "You come to the King's Head and the boys are watching. We're drinking some beers having a good time."
Ultimately, Canada lost 4-1, but not every soccer fan was disappointed. Croatian-Canadians in Winnipeg were thrilled with the result.
"It's cool to see Canada but Croatia is always the team I'm going to cheer for," said Emily Magdic, who attended the Croatian watch party.
"If it was any other sport or competition Canada would be number one in my heart, but soccer is something I've always cheered for Croatia," said Joe Brnjas, organizer of the Winnipeg Croatia Soccer Club.
Even in defeat, Canadians could still celebrate the team scoring its first world cup goal ever.
"We got that one goal. It was amazing. It's just exciting," noted Hampton.
"Win or loss, regardless, we are Canadian and love Canada. Let's go, Canada, baby!" exclaimed Czescik.
Canada is now out of World Cup contention, but fans are taking solace in knowing the young team will only get better and inspire even more amazing Canadian talent.
"We are starting to see a lot more emphasis on getting younger players into soccer, and an event like this and having Canada in it can only help that," said Hampton.
Canada will play one last game against Morocco on Thursday at 10:00 a.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why wasn't the suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down over Canada?
Critics say the U.S. and Canada had ample time to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon as it drifted across North America. The alleged surveillance device initially approached North America near Alaska's Aleutian Islands on Jan 28. According to officials, it crossed into Canadian airspace on Jan. 30, travelling above the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan before re-entering the U.S. on Jan 31.

Thieves cut huge hole in Ottawa restaurant wall to get at jewelry store next door
An Ottawa restaurateur says he was shocked to find his restaurant broken into and even more surprised to discover a giant hole in the wall that led to the neighbouring jewelry store.
Rescuers scramble in Turkiye, Syria after quake kills 4,000
Rescue workers and civilians passed chunks of concrete and household goods across mountains of rubble Monday, moving tons of wreckage by hand in a desperate search for survivors trapped by a devastating earthquake.
New details emerge ahead of Trudeau-premiers' health-care meeting
As preparations are underway for the anticipated health-care 'working meeting' between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada's premiers on Tuesday, new details are emerging about how the much-anticipated federal-provincial gathering will unfold.
Quebec minister 'surprised' asylum seekers given free bus tickets from New York City
Quebec's immigration minister says she was 'surprised' to learn the City of New York is helping to provide free bus tickets to migrants heading north to claim asylum in Canada.
The world's deadliest earthquakes since 2000
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook Turkiye and Syria on Monday, killing thousands of people. Here is a list of some of the world's deadliest earthquakes since 2000.
Mendicino: foreign-agent registry would need equity lens, could be part of 'tool box'
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says a registry to track foreign agents operating in Canada can only be implemented in lockstep with diverse communities.
Vaccine intake higher among people who knew someone who died of COVID-19: U.S. survey
A U.S. survey found that people who had a personal connection to someone who became ill or died of COVID-19 were more likely to have received at least one shot of the vaccine compared to those who didn’t have any loved ones who had been impacted by the disease.
opinion | Don Martin: Alarms going off over health-care privatization? Such an out-of-touch waste of hot political air
The chances Trudeau's health-care summit with the premiers will end with the blueprint to realistic long-term improvements are only marginally better than believing China’s balloon was simply collecting atmospheric temperatures, Don Martin writes in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca, 'But it’s clearly time the 50-year-old dream of medicare as a Canadian birthright stopped being such a nightmare for so many patients.'