One needed not watch the World Cup championship game on either of the two massive screens set up Sunday at Ricarda’s restaurant in downtown Toronto to know what was going down. The game story was on the faces and in the body language of 600 team France supporters.The close calls, the goals, the agony and, as the last seconds of injury time ticked down, the glory of a win over Croatia, in Moscow, were on full display in the Peter St. venue, which had viewers lining up hours before the match to secure a space to watch history, together.As it was, about 150 supporters had to be turned away when the atrium outside the restaurant, with two viewing areas, reached capacity.Florian François, 31, of France, has been in Toronto for five years. The actor and comedian, and huge supporter of the French team, required no method acting in expressing his emotions during the match. He yelled. He screamed. He hugged people. He reared back and roared. “It feels great,” François said moments after time expired and the atrium erupted in a sustained bout of cheering and singing. “That was a tough game. Croatia played very well, but we won and had a great tournament.”Of the team, he said, “They are the youngest team of the entire competition but they were very solid and they played more like a team, in co-operation, as compared to other teams that had top players but not really a team spirit. “And even though it’s not the most beautiful game, they are very solid and not necessarily the most creative in the offensive part, but it’s a real team.”Read more: France overpowers Croatia for World Cup crownWorld Cup Golden Ball consolation prize for Croatia’s Luka ModricCanadian soccer fans party on Montreal streets following France’s World Cup winNot far from François for most of the match sat Gauthier Ledanseur, 11, also from France. Here on holiday, he came to the viewing party with his uncle. An obvious ...
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