Friendly against U.S. stirs up Olympic memories for Canada

TORONTO — The days of relative anonymity for the Canadian women’s soccer team are over. That happens when a squad becomes immersed in one of the biggest stories of the London Games.

Life forever changed for the players after they dropped a heartbreaking decision to the Americans in the Olympic semifinals last summer before bouncing back to win bronze. Now the players are so well known they can’t sip a drink at a Toronto coffee shop without being recognized, said captain Christine Sinclair.

If their new-found fame hadn’t sunk in before, it certainly has since they landed in the city for Sunday’s not-so-friendly rematch against archrival and world No. 1-ranked U.S. at BMO Field.

“Absolutely, this would have never happened before the Olympics,” Sinclair said after Thursday night’s open practice. “Being here in Toronto, we walk down the street ... you can’t even go to Starbucks without people recognizing you. So life has changed for a lot of us. It’s still shocking.”

The women have been in Toronto all week preparing for Sunday’s sold-out grudge match at BMO Field, normally home to Toronto FC. It’s the first time the North American rivals have met since the Americans defeated No. 7 Canada 4-3 after extra time in the nail-biting semifinal that made the players instant heroes back home.

Several hundred fans turned up for Thursday’s open practice at BMO Field. A few dozen breathless young girls clad in soccer jerseys showed up early to await the arrival of the team bus. Goalkeeper Erin McLeod — who could moonlight as a lounge singer — serenaded the crowd with O Canada. The players grabbed markers and lined the railing to sign autographs.

“It’s our first game since the Olympics, it’s in Canada, Toronto in front of a sold-out crowd ... man, you’ve just seen tonight what these girls mean to this country,” said Canadian coach John Herdman.