It was like something out of a dream-sequence-inspired soccer commercial.
In the 90th minute against Colombia, as Canada trailed by one, Manny Aparicio was subbed onto the pitch by then-manager Benito Floro to take a free kick in a dangerous position. It was his first ever national team appearance, and he had to call off a former Premier League player on his right, and a La Liga veteran on his left, both of whom would usually have stepped up to take a chance of this magnitude.
"I've got Julian de Guzman on one side telling me 'Hey, you got this, you got this,' and I have David Edgar on the other side telling me to lay it off for him," Aparicio told CPLSoccer.com, "and I'm like, 'Who do I listen to right now?'"
In training all week, ahead of that Oct. 14, 2014 friendly in Harrison, N.J., Floro had been working with Aparicio on free kicks, even taking them himself to show the young midfielder the technique he wanted. So when it came time to hit the free kick, Aparicio went with his gut, listened to his coach's instructions and kicked the ball himself.
"I shot straight into the wall," said Aparicio. "I hit almost like chest height, or maybe not even, even lower. The nerves got the best of me."
Those couple of minutes on the pitch would be Aparicio's lone appearance for the senior Canadian men's national team. But having pulled on the shirt 38 times at the youth level, it remains a source of pride for the 30-year-old.
The match was an opportunity to see some of the world's best up close. Colombia was coming off a special World Cup in Brazil that summer, where they reached the quarter-final. They had one of the biggest stars on the planet at that point, as James Rodríguez, newly signed by Real Madrid, was the tournament's Golden Boot winner — including a stunning volley from outside the box that remains one of the greatest goals scored in World Cup history.
Rodríguez scored the lone goal against Canada that day as well, from yet another world-class strike from distance that beat Milan Borjan in the Canadian goal.
"It was really my first time in a crowd like that," said Aparicio. "It was a great turnout, a lot of Colombians, a lot of soccer fans in general, with James, [Radamel] Falcao... there were a lot of stars. It was one of the biggest games Canada had around that time."
Eleven years later, to the day, Canada met Colombia again for the first time since in a friendly in October. The match ended in a draw, and Canada more than held their own, a sign of the immense progression of the program.
"Nowadays we play amazing opposition, the team has done so well that everyone wants to play Canada as well," said Aparicio. "And they're holding their own, and doing great, and it's amazing to see on a national team level."
He remarks on how different the soccer scene is overall since he moved to Canada from Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2004.
"I just had a kid of my own, and I'm looking around like, this guy can pick from whatever team he wants to," said Aparicio. "He'll be able to have so many options to play, to train, so many fields. Honestly, it's amazing to see."
He expects it will only improve with an increase in investment and interest in the sport following a home World Cup. Four years ago, he saw firsthand what the global tournament can mean for a country as he watched the 2022 final in his native Argentina. He got to experience the victory parade attended by an estimated eight million Argentines soon after as well, an unforgettable moment.
"You see a country come together like nothing else; there's always politics or religion or ways of being that divide people, and it's crazy with this game and how much we love football," said Aparicio. "It just all comes together, and I think that's honestly the best part about it."
He is hoping that Canada will be caught up in a similar fervour over the next few weeks, and can't wait to see the way the country embraces the sport's biggest stage.
"It's just a surreal feeling when you're in those environments and in those crowds, chanting for your country," said Aparicio. "I hope it lights up like that for Canada."
