Canada 2 – Honduras 1

My first experience underneath the east stands at Stade Saputo was not a positive one.

That was two years ago, in the aftermath of Canada’s 2-1 loss to Honduras in World Cup qualifying — a winnable game that slipped away, made all the worse by the overwhelming preponderance of rowdy, aggressive Honduran fans.

That time, I remember being under the east stands as the understaffed security force shuffled Canadian supporters out of the stadium and into the parking lot, following beer-throwing and fistfights between supporters of the two sides. It was underneath those stones that Honduran fans had the audacity (and freedom) to throw rocks at us — the Canada supporters in Canada.

To say, then, that my experience under the east stands last night felt redemptive would be an understatement.

During a 20-minute-long rain delay with eight minutes left in the match, the Canada supporters from sections 113 and 114 huddled underneath the stands for some sort of protection from the downpour.

What erupted was a boisterous back-and-forth chorus of chanting and singing (as well as a few “let’s get fuckin’ mental” mosh pits, of course) that, somehow, were the heartiest of the night — likely because we weren’t pre-occupied with worrying about the seemingly inevitable Honduran equalizing goal.

There were plenty of worries before the game. Some (myself included) were worried about a repeat of the 2008 qualifier, both in the stands and on the field. There were also questions about what the Canadian support would look like — a group of about 20 to 30 local fans (presumably all supporters of the Montreal Impact) decided to sit apart from the Voyageurs section, in order to have freer reign to support the team in a way they saw fit.

But those worries dissipated. The sparse crowd (announced at a believable 7,525) had chunks of Honduran support, for sure, but the Canadian team didn’t need to look around and question whether they were in Montreal or San Pedro Sula. And while the first 10 minutes were a bit awkward in the Canada supporters section, eventually most people got on board — creating a few neat instances of alternating chants in French and English.

And — for the good of my heart and other internal organs — that dreaded Honduran equalizer never came. The final eight minutes of the 90 went into the books without incident, and the Canadian team was sure to pop by for some appreciative mutual applause after the final whistle.

Yes, this was a friendly match; yes, the Honduran side was missing some of its best players.

But don’t you dare try telling me the game last night at Stade Saputo was “meaningless”.