The World Cup is everywhere in Vancouver. For Thomas Schneider, Switzerland’s consul general on the ground, the clash between Switzerland and hosts Canada on June 24 is a stroke of luck. Preparations have been underway for months and hopes remain high for further matches for the Swiss national team on the west coast. On Granville Street, fans kick a ball between food trucks and photo booths – supporters from around the world gather outside pubs, and on match days, more than 50,000 people flock to the stadium. Yet just a few streets away, everything seems surprisingly normal. “To be honest, when I look out of my office window, I don’t really notice much of the World Cup,” says Schneider. His office is located next to Canada Place, where cruise ships dock daily, bringing thousands of tourists into the city. There are lots of people in Vancouver, he notes: “It’s business as usual.” For Schneider and his team, however, recent months have been anything but routine. Since last autumn …