VANCOUVER – At first, Jonathan David didn’t know what to. He’d never been in this place with Canada’s men’s national team before. No one has, in fact.And so David grabbed the ball he had just pushed into the back of the net to send Canada up 3-0 against Qatar. He looked around in stunned surprise and booted the ball high above him, as high as Canada’s hopes have become after the most monumental day in the country’s men’s soccer history.“It’s historical,” David said of Canada’s 6-0 drubbing of Qatar, which sent them top of Group B in the World Cup.If you were one of the 52,497 in attendance, you likely had little room to breathe.The biggest game in the program’s history had everything: Six goals came in dramatic waves, the most ever scored in a World Cup game by a Concacaf country. A horrific injury suffered by a star player. Testy physicality between the two teams likely appeased a hockey-minded crowd looking to exact revenge on Qatar for one nasty foul after another.There were wild celebrations from an emotional head coach, Jesse Marsch. A national hero in David, who was subject to criticism days earlier, responding as the first Concacaf player in 96 years to bag a hat-trick in the World Cup. (Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba added goals, while there was a further own goal from Qatar’s Mohammed Manai) Players sticking together after Ismaël Koné’s injury, typifying the idea of the “Brotherhood” they talk about time and time again.This game wasn’t just a novel. It was Homer’s Odyssey, set on the shores of False Creek in downtown Vancouver.The immediate feeling throughout Canada will rightly be one of anguish: losing Koné to what appeared to be a very serious leg injury after a shocking and unnecessary tackle will hang over Canada’s win.Ismaël Koné appeared to suffer a serious leg injury during the game (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)But, once the dust settles, Canada’s utter demolition of Qatar should be remembered as a remarkable day of firsts for the men’s national team. Their first multi-goal game at the World Cup. Their first win in the tournament. This was the first time that, in a country that prides itself on its diversity, it felt like the whole stadium was entirely behind the team.And finally, for the first time ever: genuine belief Canada might be capable of a special World Cup rippling through the stadium.“We came here to do very good, to win the game, to make it such a beautiful day for Canada,” midfielder Stephen Eustaquio said.Yes, Canada beat up on lowly Qatar, the Debbie Downers around the world might shout. But those outside Canada need to be reminded: Canada was once in Qatar’s shoes. They were once a minnow in international soccer, swimming upriver into the abyss.On Thursday, Canada proudly turned in the right direction. And with the confidence and emotion built through the win, they are likely never headed back.