Move over, hockey! Football (aka soccer) is Canada's game now!

Canada's official game is lacrosse, not hockey, but thanks to several factors, Football (i.e. soccer) has now become our new official game.

Men get no credit for this: the women did it all. First, the heartbreaking game last Monday (August 6, 2012), in which a questionable call by the referee resulted in a fourth goal by the USA over our splendid Canadian women. Led by Christine Sinclair, we held the lead three times, and then in the dying seconds lost, thanks to a highly questionable call by the referee. Our keeper did indeed hold the ball for six seconds, but the referee was assisted by the USA player who was counting aloud. And therein turns a game of monumental proportion.

And then, here comes the thing that defines Canada as a nation: our coach, Mr. John Herdman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Herdman), himself a legend prior to moving to our shores and transforming our women into, not a but the Force to be reckoned with), gathered his women together and said "Rise Up!" (c.f. The Parachute Club, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntzlsrjrnmU) -- well, not in those precise words, but he did say something to our team, and those lovely and gifted women did indeed rise up. France quite clearly outplayed us, but as Mr. Herdman said in a post-game interview, "It's all about putting the ball in the back of the net." France came a fraction of an inch close to winning the Bronze. A couple of brilliant saves by our keeper Erin McLeod, and a couple of lucky post and crossbar hits by the French, and at the end of the day, our women won in the final seconds of Overs. Our lovely heroine, previously unsung, Diana Matheson, upon receiving a pass, and with only a split-second to decide, made the correct decision, a side-kick, guaranteed to stay low.

Canada -- not just me! the whole nation -- wept with joy. And, I shall admit it as my own take, not ascribing it to any other Canadians, a certain amount of lust for these magnificent women.

The success of our football team is hugely due to Mr. John Herdman, whose post-game interview was remarkably Canadian in its humility

The large influx of immigrants from such nations as India, Pakistan, China, Malaysia, and of course all the Caribbean nations (Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and all the islands named St. something -- Kits, Vincent, etc.)

All this adds up to "Our new national game is Football!" Later for hockey and lacrosse. It's a new dawn, a new day, and its name is Football! Let's stop calling it Soccer. If any game in the world deserves the name "Football", it is surely a game in which hands, elbows, etc. are disallowed.

Here's this voice for Canada's new official game: Football.