Canada will have its hands full when it plays Panama Tuesday in a crucial World Cup qualifying game – on and off the pitch.
The Canadian team arrived in Panama City Sunday, and was greeted outside their hotel by Panamanian fans who were determined to give them a “warm” welcome, according to the Canadian Soccer Association:
Panamanian fans are camped outside the #canMNT hotel with drums, fireworks and laser pointers. What a warm welcome… #CONCACAF #WCQ — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) September 10, 2012
Panamanian fans are camped outside the #canMNT hotel with drums, fireworks and laser pointers. What a warm welcome… #CONCACAF #WCQ
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) September 10, 2012
The CSA shot this video:
Later in the evening the CSA tweeted the following:
Shocking scenes here in Panama City. Hundreds of Panamanian fans gathered outside team hotel. Noise is deafening. #canMNT — Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) September 11, 2012
Shocking scenes here in Panama City. Hundreds of Panamanian fans gathered outside team hotel. Noise is deafening. #canMNT
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) September 11, 2012
A new video, posted by The Toronto Sun’s Kurtis Larson, showed the escalation of what the Panamanian fans are doing to keep Team Canada from sleeping:
Canada earned a 1-0 win over Panama last Friday in Toronto, stoking the fires for Tuesday’s return match in Panama City, which you can watch live on Sportsnet ONE starting at 8:30 pm ET.
And the locals down in Panama seem to be taking it seriously, according to Canadian midfielder Patrice Bernier:
Panama Fan says: ” you in my country, this is Panama, this is 3rd war”. Warm welcome by locals. #Canmnt — Patrice Bernier (@pbernier10) September 9, 2012
Panama Fan says: ” you in my country, this is Panama, this is 3rd war”. Warm welcome by locals. #Canmnt
— Patrice Bernier (@pbernier10) September 9, 2012
