Joel Waterman may not have gotten into the game on Friday at Toronto Stadium, but he still felt the power of a FIFA World Cup match on home soil for the Canadian men's national team.
Trotting up and down the touchline, staying warm in case Jesse Marsch called his name, Waterman soaked in the atmosphere of 43,000 fans producing thunderous noise.
"It was a dream come true," the former Cavalry FC defender told reporters after Canada's 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"I couldn't even put it together in my head, how amazing it was to see all the fans. There was lots of red in the stands, they were loud; it was a dream come true for sure."
Waterman and his fellow substitutes went into an absolute frenzy on the bench when Cyle Larin scored in the second half to make it 1-1.
The moment, which ignited the stadium to an absurd degree, was one Waterman won't soon forget — nor will most Canadians, it being Canada's first men's World Cup goal on home soil.
"It was a great moment, a moment that will go down in history," Waterman said. "Cyle deserves it, it's been 12 years since he's been a part of this team. He never takes it for granted, whether he's coming off the bench or starting."
Waterman, a key veteran member of Canada's squad who was at Qatar 2022, still has yet to feature in a World Cup match for Les Rouges. However, there may yet be a role to play for him in this tournament.
After a hard-fought draw against Bosnia, Canada will now travel to Vancouver, where they prepare to take on Qatar on Thursday.
For Langley, B.C. native Waterman, World Cup matches in his home province will be even more special.
"Vancouver is obviously a great football city," he said. "BC Place is going to be rocking with all those fans, and hopefully this time we get the three points to cheer about. We're really excited for that."
This Canadian side leaves Toronto undaunted, despite a result that they feel should have been a win rather than a draw.
They know the match against Qatar will be almost must-win, but they're embracing the pressure.
"We never lose our confidence," Waterman said. "We're a team that's experienced in a World Cup, in 2022 a lot of guys were there. We're just going to be confident in what we can do on the pitch, we've got another battle against Qatar coming."
