Team Croatia arrived Tuesday night at the King Edward Hotel on King Street ahead of their match against Portugal. They were greeted by a small, but boisterous group of supporters.
The King Edward Hotel, aka The King Eddy, and the X Hotel, have been hosting the teams who are visiting the city for the Toronto leg of the FIFA World Cup. One team staying at one hotel, the other team at the other hotel. The game on Thursday is the last game to occur in the city.
Crowds have gathered at the King Eddy to greet the teams as they arrive. The size of the crowds has varied from team to team. One group that surprised the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood was Team Iraq. More than a hundred people took over King St as the team arrived, and many stayed for days. Some of them on foot, walking around, some cruising the neighbourhood with flags mounted to their vehicles or with flagpoles poking high through their sunroofs. Some fans checked into the hotel and partied the whole time, not leaving until days after the match has already been played. Unfortunately for Iraqi fans, they lost to Senegal and there was many sullen faces seen on King Street that night.
The local buzz was enhanced by the comings-and-goings of the teams. They travel by motor coach, escorted by a small army of police on motorcycle – motorcade-style. The mounted units briefly taking-over then releasing intersections as they roll through town the way a head of state might travel.
* Getting a picture of the team is practically impossible because of security and the crush of fans..so here are some pics of the Croatian fans.
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