Sprinkled throughout B.C. Place on Friday, there’ll be ex-Canadian internationals who went to the 1986 World Cup, who won a Gold Cup in 2000, and who experienced all sorts of highs and lows in the red and white.

They never experienced this — 55,000 fans for a FIFA World Cup qualifier on home soil.

“We always had a running joke that we were the only country in the world that never had a home game,” Jason deVos, the former Canadian captain and current TSN analyst, said Thursday ahead of Canada-Mexico. “It always felt like the opposition fans would outnumber our fans.

“For me, it’s a demonstration of just how far the game has come in my lifetime. I don’t think as a player I ever dreamed there would be this sort of attention and crowd for a men’s national team game.”

The comparison, just in terms of pure crowd size, is 1994, when Canada hosted mighty Brazil in a friendly at Commonwealth Stadium. Canada tied the soon-to-be World Cup winners 1-1 in front of 51,936 fans.

It was a rare occasion. It’s been far more common to see crowds of 7,000 to 12,000, with around 17,000 not quite filling BMO Field in Toronto for the World Cup qualifiers in 2012.

B.C. players Nick Dasovic and Carlo Corazzin were on the team that memorable day against Brazil. Both will be at B.C. Place on Friday — Corazzin watching from the press box, where he likes the view, and Dasovic sitting with his family, including two sons.

“You just don’t get many times in your career where you get to play in front of that many people,” said Corazzin, who scored 11 goals in 59 games for Canada and played the better part of a decade in England.

“For me, just being around it this week is exciting. I’m excited for the players. I think this team has the ability, with a little luck, to get a draw or maybe even find a way to win.

“It’s a new era for Canadian soccer, which started when the Women’s World Cup came to town. If they can build on this momentum, it could be a place where we see many national team games to come.”

Dasovic, who has 63 caps and coached Canada’s U-20s and U-23s, agreed that hosting the Women’s World Cup last June was a turning point for how we support soccer in this country. So did deVos.

Dasovic also pointed to hosting the 2007 U-20 boys World Cup here, and the growth of the Whitecaps since they joined MLS.

Judging by the recent crowds for World Rugby Sevens at B.C. Place, there’s also something to be said for Vancouver’s post-Olympic pride.

“And then obviously over the last little bit there’s been some real positive results for the boys,” Dasovic said of the Canadian men, who beat Honduras 1-0 in front of a lively crowd of 20,108 here in November.

“I spoke to a few of the lads this week and everyone looks pretty confident, which is good. It’s great to go into a game with the idea that we’re at home and it’s going to be a pro-Canadian crowd and it’s on turf and the rest of it.”

There’s something else the ex-internationals agree on. While Canada’s added some impressive attacking players, while they have the ingredients to score, taking down mighty Mexico will require a superhuman defensive effort.

“The back four has to have a blinder and our goalkeeper has to play well,” said deVos, the former centre-back. “This team has shown it’s capable of defending.”

Added Dasovic: “Nothing changes from who were are as Canadians. We’re diligent. We’re nine-to-fivers. We’ll grind it out. Let’s not kid ourselves, the Mexican team is a very talented group.”

mweber@postmedia.com

twitter.com/ProvinceWeber