Canada looks to secure home advantage for knockout games

VANCOUVER — They keep moving the goalposts — the metaphorical ones, not the actual goalposts on the pitch — on the Canadian men’s team at the FIFA World Cup. 

Canada’s opening match vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, which ended in a 1-1 draw, was aptly described in the buildup as the biggest game ever in the team’s history. The same descriptor was then applied to the Canadians’ second Group B match vs. Qatar in Vancouver, and they responded with a 6-0 destruction job in recording their first-ever World Cup victory. 

Now for the third time, Canada faces the biggest and most important match in its history when it takes on Switzerland in its Group B finale on Wednesday at BC Place. The Canadians haven’t officially clinched a berth in the knockout round, but they are virtually assured a spot in the round of 32. All that’s left to determine is where that match will take place. 

Canada and Switzerland are tied atop Group B with four points apiece, but Canada sits in first based on a superior goal difference (plus-six versus plus-three). Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar each have one point.  

A win or draw against the Swiss means the Canadians win the group, and they will play their round of 32 game in Vancouver — a potential round of 16 contest would also be staged at BC Place. If Switzerland wins and Canada advances as a second- or third-place team, it will play all of its knockout games in the United States, instantly losing its home advantage. That’s why this match vs. Switzerland has such massive implications for Canada. 

“I said last game to the guys and to my family that the crowd in Vancouver, (and the) national anthem, I got goosebumps. It was amazing, I think the energy the crowd gave was honestly amazing, so I feel like staying here and having that environment for every game would be a big advantage for us,” Canadian winger Liam Millar said.  

Even though Canada doesn’t need a victory, and only has to avoid a loss, playing for the draw isn’t an option, according to centre back Derek Cornelius.

“We’re gonna go into the game playing to win. We’re playing in front of our home crowd; they want to see us attacking more so than defending. So, we’re going to try and stick to who we are and how we play. Obviously, with that being said, we also need to use our brain in the last minutes of the game, seeing where the result is,” Cornelius offered.  

Here are three things to look for in Wednesday’s Group B encounter between Canada and Switzerland at the World Cup.  

Can Canada keep the goals coming? 

Consistent goal scoring was a bit of an issue for Canada in the lead up to the World Cup.  

Les Rouges were shut out four times across their eight games dating back to last October prior to the World Cup and hadn’t scored more than twice in a match during that same stretch.  

At the same time, Cyle Larin was riding a 14-game scoring drought — his previous goal coming in 2024 — going into Canada’s World Cup opener vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina. Jonathan David entered the tournament with just two goals (both from the penalty spot) in nine appearances for his country and hadn’t scored from open play since last September.  

But both David and Larin, who rank as the top two all-time scorers in the men’s team, have come good at this World Cup. Larin bagged the equalizer off the bench in the team’s draw vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina and the opener in Canada’s big win over Qatar. David netted a hat trick against Qatar, while Nathan Saliba also found the back of the net for Canada.  

With seven goals, the Canadians are one of the highest-scoring teams at this tournament, though that comes with an asterisk, as six of their goals came against lowly Qatar, which played most of the match a man 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 said. 

Now the question becomes whether the Canadians can continue their goal-scoring streak against their toughest opponent to date at this World Cup — Canada is No. 30 in the current FIFA world rankings, 11 spots below Switzerland.  

Scoring a hatful of goals against an undermanned Qatar was one thing. Doing it against Switzerland is quite another. Participants in each of the five previous World Cups, the Swiss boast a squad teeming with players who ply their trades at some of the top clubs across Europe, including most of its defenders who play in Germany’s Bundesliga.

With Ismaël Koné injured, Nathan Saliba has big shoes to fill  

Canada’s celebrations were justifiably muted following its big win over Qatar after the Canadian players witnessed a horrific incident involving one of their teammates. Midfielder Ismaël Koné suffered a broken leg early in the second half, falling to the ground in a heap after being fouled from behind via a tackle from Qatar’s Assim Madibo. 

Koné had surgery to repair the limb at a local hospital and is on the road to recovery, but he’s been ruled out for the rest of this World Cup. His injury leaves a gaping hole in central midfield for Canada, robbing the team of one of its most important partnerships on the pitch.  

Co-captain Stephen Eustáquio and Koné have served as Canada’s midfield nucleus for the past several years — they are the twin engines in the centre of the park, and the foundation upon which a lot of the Canadian team’s success has been built. Koné’s absence, while not totally debilitating, hurts Canada. 

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

So, who will Marsch call upon to fill Koné’s considerable shoes for this ultra-important encounter vs. the Swiss? The answer is most likely Nathan Saliba. 

It was Saliba, after all, who subbed on against Qatar after Koné was stretchered off the pitch. Seven minutes after his introduction, Saliba scored a fabulous free kick from 20 yards out, bending his attempt around Qatar’s defensive wall to make it 4-0. He celebrated by holding up a jersey with Koné’s name, paying tribute to his childhood friend and fallen colleague. 

It was Saliba’s third goal in 16 national team appearances, all of which have come under Marsch’s watch. Saliba, still only 22, earned his first cap in 2024 when he had less than two years of pro experience under his belt with CF Montreal in MLS, which underlines just how much Marsch thought of him. Since then, he’s moved on to RSC Anderlecht in Belgium, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s transferred to an even bigger club in Europe. 

The soft-spoken Saliba isn’t a like-for-like replacement for Koné — he doesn’t have the same technical abilities, nor does he have the inclination to drive forward with the ball and take on defenders. But the Quebec native offers physicality and mobility, an intensive defensive presence, and strong passing skills. An argument can be made that his profile might be better suited than Koné’s for the match against Switzerland in which Marsch’s trademark pressing style is expected to be on full display. 

“Saliba is a top player, a top guy. He understands the game very well; he’s a very mature player, especially for his age. If it’s him that Jesse chooses to replace Koné, we’re all confident that he’ll do a great job. We already saw that in the second half when he came in after Koné’s injury,” Derek Cornelius said. 

Saliba didn’t play in Canada’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Marsch has previously acknowledged that the youngster has struggled for playing time due to the team’s depth in the midfield. Now, Saliba faces the biggest opportunity of his budding national team career. 

Three members of Canada’s back four on yellow cards

Canada has to proceed with a modicum of caution during the crucial encounter vs. Switzerland as three members of the defence are on yellow cards.  

Jesse Marsch has gone with the same back four through the first two group stage matches. Centre back Luc de Fougerolles and fullback Alistair Johnston picked up yellow cards in the game vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, while centre back Derek Cornelius was cautioned vs. Qatar. The only member of the starting back line who hasn’t seen yellow is Toronto FC’s Richie Laryea.  

Per World Cup rules, a player who earns two yellow cards during the group stage will be suspended for the opening round of the knockout stage. That means de Fougerolles, Johnston and Cornelius will be suspended for the round of 32 if they are cautioned against the Swiss.   

Players with one yellow card will have their slate wiped clean after the group stage and again after the quarterfinals. If the Canadian trio avoid a yellow card vs. Switzerland, they’ll start the knockout stage with essentially a clean record.  

Somewhat complicating matters for Canada is that centre back Alfie Jones, who has been dealing with a muscle injury, hasn’t been involved in full training for the past several sessions, which suggests he’s a long way from playing any part at this World Cup for Canada.  

Moïse Bombito is trying to work his way back to full fitness after breaking his leg last October — he was an unused substitute against Bosnia and Herzegovina before replacing Cornelius at the start of the second half vs. Qatar. Joel Waterman hasn’t featured in a game for Canada since March. 

So, any suspensions that Canada incurs for the round of 32 could prove troublesome, which means the three defenders on yellow cards have to walk a very fine line vs. Switzerland, playing with the same intensity without picking up another caution.  

“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 said.