Canada has advanced to the knockout round of the FIFA World Cup, marking the first time the men’s national team has reached this stage. This progression occurred despite a 2-1 loss to Switzerland in their final group stage match on Wednesday at BC Place in Vancouver.
The result saw Switzerland secure first place in Group B. Canada finished second in the group, aided by Bosnia & Herzegovina‘s 3-1 victory over Qatar in Seattle.
Match details
The match remained scoreless through the first half. Switzerland‘s Ruben Vargas opened the scoring in the 46th minute, followed by Johan Manzambi in the 57th minute, giving Switzerland a two-goal lead. Canada‘s Promise David, who entered the game as a substitute, scored in the 76th minute to narrow the deficit to 2-1.
Early in the game, Switzerland had a significant opportunity in the 11th minute when Breel Embolo‘s shot was saved by Canada‘s goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau. The rebound attempt by Manzambi was then blocked by defender Derek Cornelius. Canada also had scoring chances, including a free kick from Mathieu Choinière and a shot by Ali Ahmed that required a diving save from Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
The first half also saw some physical play, including an incident in the 31st minute where Swiss captain Granit Xhaka made contact with Canadian striker Cyle Larin. Both players received yellow cards after the exchange.
Team changes and upcoming fixtures
Head coach Jesse Marsch made two changes to Canada‘s starting midfield for the match against Switzerland. Nathan Saliba and Mathieu Choinière were brought in, replacing Stephen Eustáquio, who was dealing with muscle tightness, and Ismaël Koné, who sustained a leg injury in the previous match against Qatar.
Koné, a 24-year-old midfielder from Montreal, was present at the stadium, sitting on the bench with his leg bandaged following surgery. Fans displayed tributes to his jersey number, and he received an ovation during warm-ups.
Canada‘s journey in the tournament began with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 12, securing their first-ever point in a senior men’s FIFA World Cup. This was followed by a 6-0 win over Qatar, marking the nation’s first victory in the competition.
Canada will now play in the Round of 32 on Sunday in Los Angeles against the runner-up from Group A, which could be South Korea, Czechia, or South Africa.
Switzerland will play their Round of 32 match in Vancouver on July 2 against the third-place team from Group E, F, G, I, or J.
The knockout rounds are single-elimination matches, meaning a winner must be determined, potentially through extra time or a penalty shootout if scores are level after 90 minutes.
Jonathan David, who scored a hat trick against Qatar, wore the captain’s armband for Canada in the absence of Stephen Eustáquio.
Despite earlier suggestions that captain Alphonso Davies might make his first appearance of the World Cup against Switzerland, he did not enter the match.
The Round of 32 match for Canada is scheduled for Sunday at noon PT / 3 pm ET at Los Angeles Stadium.
Source: sportsnet.ca
Chloe Tremblay is the Sports Reporter at CasinoNews, covering basketball, tennis and athletics with nine years of reporting experience. She reported on the Raptors' rise and two Olympic cycles. She holds a degree in Journalism from Concordia University. Based in Montreal, she plays recreational basketball and follows track athletics. “The best stories come from the athletes everyone overlooks.”
