EDMONTON

If the 2018 and 2022 World Cups are taken away from Russia and Qatar, FIFA will be asked to move one to Canada.

“I would like nothing better than to get a men’s World Cup or a piece of a men’s World Cup in the near future,” Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani told your correspondent Sunday.

The spectacular scene in Edmonton Saturday, the near sellout for a predictable pair of pastings (Germany 10, Ivory Coast 0/Norway 4, Thailand 0) in Ottawa Sunday and the expected scene with a sellout for the U.S. opener in Winnipeg Monday, has moved Canada into prime position to make it possible says Montagliani.

In contrast are the scenes at FIFA headquarters in Zurich with officials being thrown in jail, charged with accepting massive bribes for votes and other crimes.

That was followed by the resignation of Sepp Blatter as the head of FIFA.

“I think a lot of things have changed in our world in the last two weeks,” said Montagliani, a 49-year-old from Vancouver.

“If investigations going on in respect to 2018 and 2022 find improprieties that are very concrete evidence, it is incumbent on the members to revisit those World Cups,” he added.

“If that happens and they’re actually taken away because of improprieties, then obviously the whole game has changed in terms of what is going to happen in the next three years and the next seven years.

“Canada would probably be in a position at looking at being involved in hosting one of those in some capacity.

“Quite frankly, we deserve it,” said Montagliani.

“As you can see, the way we’ve turned out for all the events we’ve hosted, I think we’d do the same for that event as we’re doing for this one.

“For us, this is just building off our credibility. We started back right here in Edmonton in 2002 with the U-19. It all started here. That was the first shot across the bow for us. Then we went to 2007 with the U-20 boys. Then we went to the Under-20 with the girls last year. And now we have this. It just adds to our future credibility for any future wishes and dreams we have.”

What happened Saturday for openers in Edmonton with an attendance figure of 53,058 to break the records for the largest crowd for a national team game of either gender in soccer or any other sport had to open some eyes around the world, said Montagliani.

“We knew this was a hell of an opportunity for our country, not just in women’s football, but in football in general. And now, with the things that have happened in the last two weeks, being the country that we are in terms of how we do things, I think it has put Canada in a different position in the international arena.

“Just the way we conduct business and put on events, the way we embrace these kind of things, with the whole world watching us now, with this being the first event after what happened the last 10 days, I think we could be a shining light in the game.

“This tournament has the opportunity to do that.

“It’s a ray of sunshine. Big time.

“It was a fantastic day Saturday. Edmonton really stepped up. I’m very happy. I’m very happy with what the city did. They’ve done it in the past and they’ve done it again.”

Montagliani said Edmonton was always a no-brainer as the city to launch the biggest female sports event in the world.

“It really wasn’t that much of a debate. Nobody was really interested in going any other way. We just felt from the beginning that Edmonton was a great place to start the tournament and a great place to have Canada start the tournament. Kudos to the city. And kudos to our girls, too. The first game is always a tough game. It’s such a huge game to get off your back. It’s not how pretty you play. It’s about getting the result. And they got it.”

The combination of everything involved in Edmonton helps everything going forward.

“It’s kind of like starting on top of the hill and letting the ball roll and have it catch all the momentum it can.”

Follow me on Twitter.com/sunterryjones

terry.jones@sunmedia.ca