Dear Diary

A day in the life of soccer columnist Kurtis Larson on the ground in Russia

MOSCOW — Bill was from Boston. Tim was a German fan, living in Poland. Both of them were clueless when it came to Canadian soccer.

Most non-Canadians are — especially at International tournaments dominated by big stars.

Yet they’re usually intrigued enough to know more about soccer in a country that hasn’t qualified for a World Cup in 32 years.

I rattled off names such as Atiba Hutchinson, Scott Arfield and Cyle Larin — all Canadian players who feature in major leagues around the world.

Bill and Tim gave me a blank stare as we gulped back a few beers. The former chimed in and said he doesn’t watch American or Canadian leagues.

My World Cup acquaintances agreed Canada’s anonymity stems from a lack of World Cup appearances.

Until now, that is. Both Bill and Tim wanted to learn more about the Canadian game given “United” 2026.

Both were somewhat shocked by the prospect of the Canadian Premier League, which is slated to kick off next April. I referred to it as the initial step in Canada’s preparation for its return to the FIFA World Cup.

Bill departed more intrigued by the CPL than his hometown club, the New England Revolution — which he didn’t speak fondly of.

Still, it was a relief to find friends fluent in

English amid the constant struggle to communicate with locals.

I awoke to two noises on Thursday morning:

Loud hammering and a peculiar knock at the door.

In walked an elderly Russian woman on a mission to hunt down whoever was hammering inside our building. She wouldn’t take “nyet” for an answer.

I moved out of the way and allowed her to canvass the Soviet-era apartment as she mumbled to herself in her local tongue.

It wasn’t long before the wayward woman realized my temporary home wasn’t a construction zone.

She clasped her hands together with regret. I smiled and told her not to worry.

Russians are pretty forward, aren’t they?