Vancouver, June 19 (Reuters Sports Service) - Canada secured a resounding 6-0 victory over Qatar in their opening World Cup match on the West Coast, delighting fans in Vancouver as their national team achieved their first win in the finals.

The otherwise joyous afternoon at the sold-out PC Place stadium was overshadowed by the serious leg injury suffered by Ismail Koné following a rough tackle by Qatari player Assim Madibo, but even that could not dampen the enthusiasm of the boisterous crowd.

"It's unbelievable, it's historic, it's history being written here," said Matjaž Czerniak, a Canada fan, to Reuters after the match, as jubilation erupted as people left the stands. "This is a Vancouver win, the first in Canada's World Cup history, and we were here to witness it."

Although ice hockey is overwhelmingly popular across most of Canada, die-hard fans in Vancouver are quick to reveal their love for soccer, and if Thursday’s game was a test of this theory, the national team and its fans passed the test with flying colors.

The pre-match national anthem was loud and emotional, overshadowed only by the deafening shouts of fans in red celebrating the first two goals of the game, scored by Kyle Larraín and Jonathan David in the first half-hour.

Traditional clothing

The fans, who lined up on the left behind one of the goals, were wearing traditional Qatari dress and chanting in support of their team, but the sending off of Hammam Al-Amin in the 33rd minute ended their hopes of achieving a positive result.

The red card Madibo received in the second half for his reckless tackle on Koné made their task impossible, and with Qatar outnumbered, Canada showed their strength and rained down a barrage of shots on Qatar’s goal.

The period leading up to the World Cup in Vancouver was difficult for the sport in the city, dominated by discussions about the future of the city-based American Soccer League Whitecaps team, and whether the team might relocate to Las Vegas.

These discussions took a backseat on Thursday as Canada's victory put them top of Group B with four points, ahead of Switzerland on goal difference, before their highly anticipated final group stage match. If Canada finishes top of the group, they will remain in Vancouver for the Round of 32.

"This is huge for the future," Chernyak said, surrounded by his family and friends who shared his joy. "It builds culture, it brings in money, it's everything."

"This will make the game 100 percent more popular here. Whoever didn't watch the game here in the stadium watched it on TV, and they love it. It's incredible."