Photo courtesy: Football Canada
The Canadian senior men’s flag football team’s dreams of reaching the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will hinge on the bronze medal game at the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Flag Football World Championships.
The team, led by former CFL head coach Paul LaPolice, saw its gold-medal aspirations end in the semi-finals against No. 4 Italy on Saturday in Dusseldorf, Germany. Former NFL tight end Antony Auclair scored a pair of touchdowns, including one late to keep things close, but Canada trailed throughout the game. Jared Lee Gerbino caught three touchdowns for the Italians, while former Montreal Alouette Vinny Papale added two of his own, resulting in a 41-36 win for the last European team standing.
Canada entered the tournament as the 10th-ranked team in the world. They managed to upset No. 2 Austria in the group stage, but were later felled by No. 7 Japan. A forfeit by Nigeria, who were unable to travel to the tournament due to Visa issues, ensured that Canada would reach the knockout round, where they delivered with a 24-12 victory over former Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa and No. 33 American Samoa. Auclair and receiver James Drysdale both found the end zone twice in the win.
Due to their result against Italy, Canada moves on to the bronze medal game on Sunday, where they will face No. 3 Mexico. The top two finishers in the World Championship, other than the United States, automatically qualify for LA 2028. Because the U.S. has advanced to the gold medal game, the bronze medal winner will earn an Olympic bid.
Flag football is making its Olympic debut in Los Angeles. Both the NFL and CFL have already approved participation for their athletes in that tournament, though nations will be forced to qualify without professional players. However, Canada has several former pros on their roster, including Auclair, who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, quarterback Michael O’Connor, and defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy.
Teams that do not qualify by way of the World Championships need to earn their spot by way of a Q-Series event to take place in Montreal. 10 teams will reach that event based on their results at the IFAF Continental Championships next year, with two qualification spots up for grabs. The final qualification spot will be determined at a separate Olympic Q-Series event in Orlando.
The Canadian women have already punched their ticket to the Olympics by way of a 20-6 victory over Mexico on Saturday. They will face the United States in the gold medal game on Sunday.
The men’s bronze medal game will take place on Sunday, August 16, at 6:00 a.m. EDT. Information on how to watch the game can be found by clicking here.
