The scenario was simple: A win or a draw for Canada against Switzerland and they win Group B at the FIFA World Cup 2026. They battled, but it didn’t happen. Still, they advance to the knockout stages for the first time in their history. A win for sure.

Despite the scoreline and despite Switzerland winning the second half on goals, it was truly a game of two halves. And Canada looked better at the end.

Canada Starting XI

Stephen Eustáquio was ruled out of the starting lineup due to muscle tightness. And Alphonso Davies remained the biggest question in Canadian soccer. One later featured, the other didn’t.

Switzerland Starting XI

The story

First Half

The match started with an exuberant Canadian side taking it to the Swiss for the first few minutes. Canada pressed and impressed, but it was also obvious they were playing a team with quality yet to be seen in their group stage. By the 10:00 mark, Switzerland had taken control of possession and had the best chance by far to score. If not for a massive Max Crepeau save on Breel Embolo, it would have been 1-0 early.

Switzerland’s physicality was obviously a step up from Qatar and even Bosnia and Herzegovina. Canadian bodies were put to ground in both ends of the pitch, runs were smothered, especially up the left side, and Canada looked nervous through 20 minutes. To say they were bullied isn’t a stretch. Canada had zero momentum.

But then things changed. Just before a (hated) hydration break, the momentum began to shift. Slowly at first, but then decidedly in Canada’s favour as halftime approached. Switzerland had won the possession game 70% to 30%, but Canada had more attempts at goal and on target, and went to the locker room with the momentum.

And then they lost it.

First Half statistics

STATSUICAN
Possession70%30%
Expected Goals0.690.28
Total Shots45
Shots on Target23
Touches in Opp. Box87
Big Chances20
Big Chances Missed20
Accurate Passes251 (86%)94 (75%)
Corners21

Striker Promsie David was… candid after the match about manger Jesse Marsch’s message at the half.

Second Half

Just 39 seconds into the second half, Rubén Vargas scored on a booming shot from in close. A defensive breakdown let the ball go through the box to Vargas, who hammered it home. It was the fastest recorded goal to open the second half at a World Cup in 16 years.

In the 57th minute, another missed defensive assignment and a mistake by Crepeau meant another Swiss goal, this one by wunderkind Johan Manzambi. That made it 2-0 with slumped Canadian shoulders on the pitch, in the stadium and across the country in pubs, at desks and on couches. 

Marsch immediately made three substitutions, getting midfielder Eustáquio, winger Liam Miller and striker Tani Oluwasewi (for Cyle Larin) into the match.

Miller looked good as a facilitator almost immediately and Jonathan David nearly increased his Golden Boot odds on a feed from him. The corners started to come and some pressure was put on mid-way through the half. Following a second (hated) hydration break in the 75th minute, Promise David joined the fray in place of Tajon Buchanan. 

That move worked!

Just a few seconds later Nathan Saliba collected a long ball over his head and sent it across the box to a sliding David, who put it home. It was 2-1 Switzerland with 15 minutes to play.

A close call off the head of Derek Cornelius added more fuel to the fire for 52,000 fans in the BC Place stands.

By the 80th minute, we had a match again. 

Marsch continued to press for the the win. Jacob Shaffelburg was brought on for Richie Laryea with Canada’s final substitution (no Alphonso Davies again… sigh) to push for the equalizer. The Swiss continued to counter with defensive changes.

A few more opportunities right into stoppage time kept things interesting, but they weren’t enough. At he final whistle it was Switzerland 2 and Canada 1. But the full-time numbers show how Canada turned things around by the end.

Match statistics

STATSUICAN
Possession55%45%
Expected Goals1.061.34
Total Shots613
Shots on Target47
Touches in Opp. Box1423
Big Chances32
Big Chances Missed21
Accurate Passes367 (83%)271 (80%)
Corners27

Final thoughts

Canada weren’t able to earn a win or a draw, but advance out of the group stage for the first time in their World Cup history. That’s a win in itself for a country just beginning to make noise on the world stage. They play the second-place team in Group A (South Korea or Czechia) Sunday in Los Angeles.

Questions remain about why Eustáquio didn’t start the match. He was noticeable throughout his time on the pitch and looked sorely missed in the first half. Marsch called Davies a group stage “decoy” post match, but said he will be ready for the Round of 32. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Marsch was asked if he thought his ploy worked against the Swiss.

“I listened to their news conference (and they) had three questions about Alphonso Davies, so they at least had to prepare for that,” he said.

Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin was asked what he thought about Marsch’s tactic.

“You always have to plan with the captain,” Yakin said through an interpreter. “You have to look at different games and different styles. You have a sense of the substitutes too.

“Of course, we looked at Davies during this tournament but we didn’t only prepare for individual players. Right now, we only react to what’s happening on the pitch.”

The overall positives for Canada were that they went toe-to toe with a true European stalwart. A top-20 team that qualifies for every major tournament and has individual players with more world-class experience than the entire Canadian side. Les Rouges lost this contest in the first 20ish minutes of the second half. They can be proud of their performance and take learnings from it. Expect them to have a better start and finish in their next match.

In the end, they advance on goal differential, with Bosnia and Herzegovina still having a chance to make the Round of 32 as one of the eight best third place finishers.

Final Group B standings

TEAMWDLPGFGAGD
SUI210773+4
CAN111483+5
BIH111456-1
QAT0121210-8

*SUI and CAN advance to the Round of 32

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Feature image courtesy AP Photo/Kaleb Tatum via Canadian Press Images.
Statistics courtesy Fotmob.com.
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