Soccer purists online are losing their minds. Outraged that Canadians would dare play a match in the snow. Outraged that the “purity” of football was violated by weather.

Spare me. Canadians have played soccer in ideal conditions for decades and almost nobody cared. Because here, soccer has to compete with hockey, Canadian football, and lacrosse. Sports built on grit.

So when people see players flopping around like fragile ornaments, that doesn’t sell the game. And I refuse to believe that flopping in perfect sunshine is somehow more “pure” than battling a blizzard.

The CPL Final changed that. A full blizzard. Zero visibility. Players giving everything. That earns respect here. Even better, the standout player was a Mexican kid who had never seen snow in his life and still dominated.

Maybe it wasn’t pure association football. Even Atlético Ottawa’s coach admitted that. But the players said it best at the end: sand, snow, or the moon. They’re going to play.