By Philip O’Connor
VANCOUVER, July 4 (Reuters) – The World Cup will soon be over but for Alexandre Gangue-Ruzic and his fellow fanatics in Vancouver it will be business as usual since they showcase their skills every Monday on a bumpy pitch that has become a street football magnet in the city.
About five years ago Gangue-Ruzic and friends got together for the first time to play on an outdoor rink normally used for street hockey and the pickup game, which goes on until sundown, quickly grew, attracting players from all over the city.
“We came here and there were about 10 of us. We had a good time, then it was like, see you guys next week, and we just kept on coming back. People would start to come by and it would grow and grow,” Gangue-Ruzic told Reuters.
“We decided to make an Instagram account and from there, it just kept growing and growing, and now we’re five years later, and it’s still every Monday, just like it was from the start.”
The Instagram account named the gathering Sunset Beach FC, and players of all types and backgrounds are represented, with many wearing club and national team shirts. The games are played five-on-five, and audacious dribbling moves are greeted with whoops of appreciation from those waiting to play.
With players beginning to drop in from around five o’clock, the game begins with a warm-up among the early arrivals, who divide themselves loosely into two teams.
When enough other players have gathered, formal teams are picked and the games go on until the sun sets.
The game is fast and competitive, with a nod to Canada’s ice hockey culture – the rink stops the ball going out and players can run or pass behind small collapsible soccer goals, with newcomers and out-of-town players quick to pick up the rules.
KING’S COURT
“I think that’s probably our best feature – you don’t need to know anyone. You can just come, teams are picked by captains, and from there it’s just ‘king’s court’-style – winner stays on, one goal, if there’s a tie both teams go out,” Gangue-Ruzic explained.
Tuesday’s last-16 clash between Switzerland and Colombia is the final World Cup game in Canada, and Sunset Beach FC players hope the tournament’s legacy will be more facilities and a greater awareness of the game among the public in Vancouver.
“Vancouver has always been a bit of a sleeping soccer city. You see it in pockets, you see it in little moments. You’ll go to a pitch and you’ll feel that pickup culture, you’ll go to a game from one of the club teams and you’ll see that supporter culture. You see it at the grassroots level,” Gangue-Ruzic said.
“It’s just we don’t maybe know how to define it, to actually realise what that could look like, so I think people are starting to realise that being a football city is gathering on the street when your country plays (in the World Cup), it’s playing pickup.”
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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