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Canada’s home World Cup is over. Jesse Marsch and his men are now a road team, despite the spectacular efforts of the substitute Promise David.
A 12-minute burst of clinical finishing early in the second half, after a dogfight of a first, earned Switzerland the right to call Vancouver home through the first week of the knockout stages. Murat Yakin’s lineup changes paid off handsomely with Rubén Vargas and Johan Manzambi rewarding his faith. Next up will be a round of 32 date back here on 2 July when ending a run of seven-straight defeats in World Cup knockout games will be the Nati’s aim.
For Marsch and Canada, California now calls. The runner-up in Group B, possibly South Korea, will be the reward for finishing second. A barnstorming finish wasn’t enough and a very short turnaround will test Canadian depth.
Ismaël Koné’s absence was rammed home in Canadian minds by his prominent presence. Six days after having his leg shattered here, the midfield dynamo was wheeled back in off the Canada team bus. On crutches, he hobbled pitchside to a huge ovation.
Marsch weighed up Nathan Saliba and Mathieu Choinière as replacements but in the end had to deploy both, with the vice-captain, Stephen Eustáquio, not fit enough to start. Not ideal in most circumstances. Against Granit Xhaka and a richly experienced Switzerland midfield, it had the potential to be a gamechanging blow. Yakin made four changes of his own, Manzambi and Vargas handed starts.
If Eustáquio’s absence was to have dampened home expectations, Vancouver never got the midday memo. The intricate curtains of this place were drawn, the closed roof giving the humidity and electricity nowhere to go. For a Wednesday matinee, the crackling atmosphere was impressive. But this is what Marsch and Canada were desperate to create: a football nation ravenous for more.
To keep it going, they desperately wanted to stay here, a win or draw enough to top Group B, book a Vancouver last-32 date and kick back with extra rest. One argument posited that the Swiss like their San Diego base so much they would not have been heartbroken with a draw, the second-placed side locked in for Los Angeles.
It started in stalemate in the tense that neither side could get going. On eight minutes, Canada fans tried to raise thousands of No 8 posters they had printed in tribute to Koné but they were too spread out around the stadium. Cohesion was a hard thing to find.
Ricardo Rodriguez said enough was enough and, soon after, fizzed a ball through the left side of Canada’s defence. Breel Embolo controlled and bore down but Maxime Crépeau looked every inch an NHL goalie as he raced out and made himself big. Embolo was unnerving most Canadian defenders but not Luc de Fougerolles, the 20-year-old yet to play for Fulham’s first team but looking every inch a World Cup player.
Neither Saliba nor Choinière got a foothold but, again, a hydration break swung momentum. Canada looked much sharper finishing the half, Cyle Larin’s pantomime toe-poke at Xhaka earning both cheap yellows but weirdly giving Canada a lift.
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On 37 minutes, the screen hanging from the roof updated that Bosnia were 2-0 up on Qatar down in Seattle, the huge nine-goal swing needed to drop Canada into third looming a fraction. The tension lifted with a Qatar goal and Canada finishing the half with a flourish, Ali Ahmed’s scuffed low shot palmed away by Gregor Kobel. It was as close as anyone had been.
In truth it wasn’t very close at all yet a first half of toil would pay off near instantly – for the visitors. The sense that Canada’s defence had yet to be truly tested in this tournament was brought into sharp light just 40 seconds after the restart. It all came from those key Yakin changes, Manzambi firing across a ball from the left which made it all the way to Vargas at the back post, Alistair Johnston dragged too far in. Vargas took it so well it felt out of kilter with the contest.
Marsch looked for a lift and called Stephen Eustáquio and two others to strip off for duty. With the trio lined up to come on, the Swiss took off. Manzambi was the beneficiary of the worst series of mistakes we’ve seen from Canada in some time, Derek Cornelius and De Fougerolles unable to clear and Embolo teeing up Manzambi to bundle past Crépeau who had to do better. Canada’s changes were made but in the space of just 12 minutes it already felt time to change itineraries. Los Angeles was calling Les Rouges. When Nico Elvedi pulled off a heroic block to deny Jonathan David on 67 minutes, hope faded further.
The other David had made a promise last month, telling CBC here that he would score a World Cup goal in Vancouver. One minute after coming on he fulfilled that, stretching at the back post to volley Saliba’s wonderful touch and cross. Prime Minister Mark Carney roared his approval. Fifteen minutes to go and everything back on. Hope rose and fell and now Canada head south.
