Canada seems to be to safe house benefit for knockout video games

VANCOUVER – They maintain shifting the goalposts — the metaphorical ones, not the precise goalposts on the pitch — on the Canadian males’s staff on the FIFA World Cup. 

Canada’s opening match in opposition to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, which resulted in a 1-1 draw, was aptly described within the build-up as the largest recreation ever within the staff’s historical past. The identical descriptor was then utilized to the Canadians’ second Group B match vs. Qatar in Vancouver, they usually responded with a 6-0 destruction job, recording their first-ever World Cup victory. 

Now for the third time, Canada faces the largest and most necessary match in its historical past when it takes on Switzerland in its Group B finale on Wednesday at BC Place. The Canadians haven’t formally clinched a berth within the knockout spherical, however they’re just about assured a spot within the spherical of 32. All that’s left to find out is the place that match will happen. 

Canada and Switzerland are tied atop Group B with 4 factors apiece, however Canada sits in first based mostly on a superior objective distinction (plus-six versus plus-three). Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar every have one level.  

A win or draw in opposition to the Swiss means the Canadians win the group, and they’re going to play their spherical of 32 recreation in Vancouver — a possible spherical of 16 contest would even be staged at BC Place. If Switzerland wins and Canada advances as a second- or third-place staff, it can play all of its knockout video games within the United States, immediately shedding its house benefit. That’s why this match vs. Switzerland has such large implications for Canada. 

“Staying here in Vancouver is definitely our number one goal. I said this when I took the job; [with] the format of the tournament, as soon as I found that out, I said, ‘Okay, we have a clear objective; we want to win the group.’ Two years ago, everybody thought I was crazy, right? That prospect at the time wouldn’t be possible, but this is where I expected us to be,” coach Jesse Marsch informed reporters on Tuesday.

Even although Canada doesn’t want a victory and solely has to keep away from a loss, enjoying for the draw is not an choice.

“All of us as players and coaches have been in situations like this, where a draw is enough. But I feel like the worst way to get the draw is to play for a draw. I think you have to go into the match and play for a win, and then in the later stages of the match, you can use your substitutes and you can use tactics to manage what you need out of the match,” Marsch stated.

As far as Alphonso Davies goes, Marsch revealed the speedy fullback received’t begin, however that he expects the Canadian captain to play in opposition to Switzerland. Davies was dominated out for Canada’s opening match vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina as he was nonetheless recovering from a hamstring harm, and he was an unused substitute in opposition to Qatar. Marsch additionally revealed that NBA legend Steve Nash delivered an inspirational video message to the Canadian staff previous to its last follow earlier than the match vs. the Swiss.

Here are three issues to search for in Wednesday’s Group B encounter between Canada and Switzerland on the World Cup. 

Can Canada maintain the objectives coming? 

Consistent objective scoring was a little bit of a difficulty for Canada within the lead-up to the World Cup.  

Les Rouges had been shut out 4 instances throughout their eight video games courting again to final October previous to the World Cup and hadn’t scored greater than twice in a match throughout that very same stretch.  

At the identical time, Cyle Larin was driving a 14-game scoring drought — his earlier objective coming in 2024 — going into Canada’s World Cup opener vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina. Jonathan David entered the match with simply two objectives (each from the penalty spot) in 9 appearances for his nation and hadn’t scored from open play since final September.  

But each David and Larin, who rank as the highest two all-time scorers within the males’s staff, have come good at this World Cup. Larin bagged the equalizer off the bench within the staff’s draw vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina and the opener in Canada’s large win over Qatar. David netted a hat trick in opposition to Qatar, whereas Nathan Saliba additionally discovered the again of the web for Canada.  

With seven objectives, the Canadians are one of many highest-scoring groups at this match, although that comes with an asterisk, as six of their objectives got here in opposition to lowly Qatar, which performed a lot of the match a person down.  

“To be honest, I always knew we could score goals. That was never a problem in my mind or any other guy’s mind of the strikers here. It was bound to come, and as we showed against Qatar, the goals will come,” Larin stated. 

Now the query turns into whether or not the Canadians can proceed their goal-scoring streak in opposition to their hardest opponent so far at this World Cup — Canada is No. 30 within the present FIFA world rankings, 11 spots beneath Switzerland.  

Scoring a hatful of objectives in opposition to an undermanned Qatar was one factor. Doing it in opposition to Switzerland is kind of one other. Participants in every of the 5 earlier World Cups, the Swiss boast a squad teeming with gamers who ply their trades at a number of the prime golf equipment throughout Europe, together with most of its defenders who play in Germany’s Bundesliga.

With Ismaël Koné injured, Nathan Saliba has large sneakers to fill  

Canada’s celebrations had been justifiably muted following its large win over Qatar after the Canadian gamers witnessed a horrific incident involving considered one of their teammates. Midfielder Ismaël Koné suffered a damaged leg early within the second half, falling to the bottom in a heap after being fouled from behind through a sort out from Qatar’s Assim Madibo. 

Koné had surgical procedure to restore the limb at a neighborhood hospital and is on the highway to restoration, however he’s been dominated out for the remainder of this World Cup. His harm leaves a gaping gap in central midfield for Canada, robbing the staff of considered one of its most necessary partnerships on the pitch.  

Co-captain Stephen Eustáquio and Koné have served as Canada’s midfield nucleus for the previous a number of years — they’re the dual engines within the centre of the park, and the muse upon which a whole lot of the Canadian staff’s success has been constructed. Koné’s absence, whereas not completely debilitating, hurts. 

“From a talent and tactical perspective, it weakens us in the tournament,” coach Jesse Marsch admitted within the aftermath of the Qatar match.   

So, who will Marsch name upon to fill Koné’s appreciable sneakers for this ultra-important encounter vs. the Swiss? The reply is most probably Nathan Saliba. 

Saliba subbed on in opposition to Qatar after Koné was stretchered off the pitch. Seven minutes after his introduction, Saliba scored a wonderful free kick from 20 yards out, bending his try round Qatar’s defensive wall to make it 4-0. He celebrated by holding up a jersey with Koné’s title, paying tribute to his childhood good friend and fallen colleague. 

It was Saliba’s third objective in 16 nationwide staff appearances, all of which have come underneath Marsch’s watch. Saliba, nonetheless solely 22, earned his first cap in 2024 when he had lower than two years of professional expertise underneath his belt with CF Montreal in MLS, which underlines simply how a lot Marsch considered him. Since then, he’s moved on to RSC Anderlecht in Belgium, and it’s solely a matter of time earlier than he’s transferred to an excellent greater membership in Europe. 

The soft-spoken Saliba isn’t a like-for-like substitute for Koné — he doesn’t have the identical technical talents, nor does he have the inclination to drive ahead with the ball and tackle defenders. But the Quebec native provides physicality and mobility, an intensive defensive presence, and robust passing expertise. An argument will be made that his profile could be higher suited than Koné’s for the match in opposition to Switzerland wherein Marsch’s trademark urgent type is anticipated to be on full show. 

Saliba did not play in Canada’s match in opposition to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Marsch has beforehand acknowledged that the teenager has struggled for taking part in time because of the staff’s depth within the midfield. Now, Saliba faces the largest alternative of his budding nationwide staff profession. 

“I think more than anything, he’s earned the respect of his teammates, and so that part is always the most important for any player in any team. But he did that quickly because his desire to show that he could do those things was so big. So, look, he’s going to factor in the match tomorrow. I’m not giving any lineup [information], but I think that when he gets called upon, he will be ready to go,” Marsch said.

Three members of Canada’s again 4 on yellow playing cards

Canada has to proceed with a modicum of warning through the essential encounter vs. Switzerland as three members of the defence are on yellow playing cards.  

Jesse Marsch has gone with the identical again 4 by means of the primary two group stage matches. Centre again Luc de Fougerolles and fullback Alistair Johnston picked up yellow playing cards within the recreation vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, whereas centre again Derek Cornelius was cautioned vs. Qatar. The solely member of the beginning again line who hasn’t seen yellow is Toronto FC’s Richie Laryea.  

Per World Cup guidelines, a participant who earns two yellow playing cards through the group stage can be suspended for the opening spherical of the knockout stage. That means de Fougerolles, Johnston and Cornelius can be suspended for the spherical of 32 if they’re cautioned in opposition to the Swiss.   

Players with one yellow card may have their slate cleaned after the group stage and once more after the quarterfinals. If the Canadian trio keep away from a yellow card vs. Switzerland, they’re going to begin the knockout stage with basically a clear report.  

Somewhat complicating issues for Canada is that centre again Alfie Jones, who has been coping with a muscle harm, hasn’t been concerned in full coaching for the previous a number of periods, which suggests he is a great distance from enjoying any half at this World Cup for Canada.  

Moïse Bombito is attempting to work his means again to full health after breaking his leg final October — he was an unused substitute in opposition to Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier than changing Cornelius at the beginning of the second half vs. Qatar. Joel Waterman hasn’t featured in a recreation for Canada since March. 

So, any suspensions that Canada incurs for the spherical of 32 might show troublesome, which suggests the three defenders on yellow playing cards need to stroll a really superb line vs. Switzerland, enjoying with the identical depth with out choosing up one other warning.  

“You try not to go into the game thinking about that. You just try to focus on getting the job done to win the game. If you can avoid getting another yellow and then possibly missing future games, you do that. But I don’t think that’s going to change our mentality in terms of our (aggressiveness) or our willingness to go after the game and be on the front foot,” Cornelius stated.