After 36 years, Canadian men's soccer team can finally dream the impossible dream

The referee blew his final whistle. Canada's men had clinched their first World Cup berth since 1986 with a 4-0 win over Jamaica at BMO Field in Toronto. The flag-waving, sellout crowd of 29,122, who had stood on their feet in bitter cold and swirling winds for most of the match, realized all at once, with a release of pure emotion, that together they had finally earned their moment in the sun.

Cyle Larin, Canada's all-time men's leading scorer, who had opened Sunday's accounts in the 13th minute by slotting home a beautifully weighted through ball from Stephen Eustáquio, joined in the mob of celebrations before pulling himself away, walking to a piece of empty grass near the touchline, and wiping tears from his eyes.

Goalkeeper Milan Borjan, whose family fled the Croatian War of Independence to come to Canada when he was 13 years old, dropped to his knees, then climbed back to his feet and put both of his fists in the air, before collapsing again, this time into the arms of his teammates. 

"This is just amazing," he said after. "Just an unbelievable feeling."

Head coach John Herdman, having lifted both the men's and women's programs to their highest heights, arguably becoming the country's most significant soccer figure in its history, hugged everyone who came within arm's length. 

"I'm just a snotty-nosed kid from Consett, County Durham, doing what I love, with people that I love," he said, his smile as wide as an ocean. "And we did it. We f---ing did it!"

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Jonathan Osorio pulled a bass drum out of the crowd and carried it to the middle of the pitch, where he led a drum chant before struggling to find the words to describe the moment. 

"As a Canadian kid,