Coloured Coin - 2014 FIFA World Cup

Description

The players fly across the green pitch under the blaring lights. Their bodies move in kinetic displays of devotion to their nation, their team, and their sport. In the stands surrounding them, tens of thousands of fans rise, cheering, from their seats. This is the moment where passion begins. In 2014, the FIFA World Cup is being hosted in Brazil. This exciting event is closely watched by millions of fans around the globe, intertwining national pride, international sportsmanship and love for a sport that combines endurance, strength, and strategy to the delight of frenzied fans. Canadians, too, are riveted by the FIFA World Cup including the hundreds of thousands of young people here who play soccer for fun and for sport. Your coin was designed by Canadian artist Steve Hepburn and presents a dynamic stylized pastiche of soccer images. Dominating the image is a soccer player, right leg thrown back to make a powerful kick. The player's target is a large soccer ball upon which a map of Canada replaces one of the dark patches. Below the image of the player, three young children play soccer in a field of grass-a boy prepares to kick the ball while two girls approach him from either side; all the young players are dressed in the sport's recognizable uniform of long shorts, jersey, tall socks, and soccer cleats. In the upper right corner of the image, backed by a cheery yellow sunburst, a large stylized image of a Canadian crowd, arms extended to the sky, waving flags and pennants and flanked by swirling maple leaves, is reminiscent of the building wave of enthusiasm for the sport. The background is dominated by the well known green of the soccer pitch along with colourful 'swoosh' marks flying from behind the ball and complex line patterns recalling soccer nets.