World Cup's knockout rounds arrive: Vancouver stages the biggest nights
BC Place hosts the Round of 32 on July 2 and Round of 16 on July 7—the tournament's two most critical matches for the city.
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The World Cup in Vancouver has reached its turning point. The five group-stage matches at BC Place close this week—New Zealand meets Belgium on Friday, June 26 at 8 p.m. PT—and then the city moves into the rounds the schedule was built around.
BC Place hosts a Round of 32 match on Thursday, July 2 at 8 p.m. PT, and a Round of 16 on Tuesday, July 7 at 1 p.m. PT. They are the two biggest fixtures Vancouver will stage all tournament, and the last World Cup football the city will see before the bracket heads south toward the July 19 final near New York.
There's a local sting in the timing. Top spot in Group B—and with it that July 2 knockout night at BC Place—was Canada's to hold with a draw against Switzerland on Wednesday. They lost 2-1, and the home Round of 32 now likely belongs to someone else. But the Round of 16 on July 7 remains Vancouver's to showcase.
The stage itself is why Vancouver keeps topping these lists. Sports Illustrated ranked it the best of all 16 host cities this month, citing the things that decide a match day: a 54,000-seat stadium in the downtown core, the Stadium-Chinatown SkyTrain platform a two-minute walk from the gates, and a retractable roof that makes weather a non-issue.
Two nights remain to prove the billing. After July 7, the World Cup leaves Vancouver—but for two more matches, the city ranked first gets to play the part.