{"id":1493,"date":"2026-06-24T15:18:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/?p=1493"},"modified":"2026-06-24T18:52:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T00:52:38","slug":"world-cup-canada-switzerland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/sports-betting-and-news\/world-cup-canada-switzerland\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada battle but lose to Switzerland 2-1: Analysis, stats, Round of 32 opponent"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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&#8217;t happen. Still, they advance to the knockout stages for the first time in their history. A win for sure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Canada Starting XI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Stephen Eust\u00e1quio<\/strong> was left out of the starting lineup due to muscle tightness. And <strong>Alphonso Davies<\/strong> remained the biggest question in Canadian soccer. One later featured, the other didn&#8217;t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Today\u2019s starters, presented by <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/GE_Appliances?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@GE_Appliances<\/a> <br><br>\ud83c\udf41 Luc and DC at the back<br>\ud83c\udf41 Choini\u00e8re and Saliba anchor the midfield<br>\ud83c\udf41 JD has the armband<br><br>LET\u2019S GO <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/CANMNT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#CANMNT<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fu3COliDwm\">pic.twitter.com\/fu3COliDwm<\/a><\/p>&mdash; CANMNT (@CANMNT_Official) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CANMNT_Official\/status\/2069837366936883515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 24, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Switzerland Starting XI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"fr\" dir=\"ltr\">Unsere Startelf in Vancouver \ud83d\ude4c<br>Notre compo \u00e0 Vancouver<br>La nostra formazione a Vancouver <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/RQgG8jvQ79\">pic.twitter.com\/RQgG8jvQ79<\/a><\/p>&mdash; \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udded Nati (@nati_sfv_asf) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/nati_sfv_asf\/status\/2069839293787369616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 24, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First Half<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 <strong>Max Crepeau<\/strong> save on Breel Embolo, it would have been 1-0 early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Switzerland\u2019s 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&#8217;t a stretch. Canada had zero momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But then things changed. Just before a (hated) hydration break, the momentum began to shift. Slowly at first, but then decidedly in Canada\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And then they lost it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First Half statistics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>STAT<\/td><td>SUI<\/td><td>CAN<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Possession<\/td><td>70%<\/td><td>30%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Expected Goals<\/td><td>0.69<\/td><td>0.28<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Total Shots<\/td><td>4<\/td><td>5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Shots on Target<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>3<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Touches in Opp. Box<\/td><td>8<\/td><td>7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Big Chances<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Big Chances Missed<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Accurate Passes<\/td><td>251 (86%)<\/td><td>94 (75%)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Corners<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>1<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Striker <strong>Promsie David<\/strong> was&#8230; candid after the match about manger Jesse Marsch&#8217;s message at the half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&quot;Wake the f**k up.&quot;<br><br>Promise David, always a character off the field \ud83e\udd23 <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FIFAWorldCup<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hgaQJ2ANZP\">pic.twitter.com\/hgaQJ2ANZP<\/a><\/p>&mdash; TSN (@TSN_Sports) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TSN_Sports\/status\/2069894382539456566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 24, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Second Half<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just 39 seconds into the second half, <strong>Rub\u00e9n Vargas<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the 57th minute, another missed defensive assignment and a mistake by Crepeau meant another Swiss goal, this one by wunderkind <strong>Johan Manzambi<\/strong>. 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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marsch immediately made three substitutions, getting midfielder Eust\u00e1quio, winger <strong>Liam Miller<\/strong> and striker <strong>Tani Oluwasewi<\/strong> (for Cyle Larin) into the match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Miller looked good as a facilitator almost immediately and <strong>Jonathan David<\/strong> nearly increased his <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/sports-betting-and-news\/world-cup-2026-updated-golden-boot-odds\/\">Golden Boot odds<\/a> 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 <strong>Tajon Buchanan<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That move worked!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">CANADA HAS LIFE! \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6<br><br>A FANTASTIC TOUCH FROM NATHAN SALIBA WHO THEN FINDS PROMISE DAVID FOR THE GOAL! <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FIFAWorldCup<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QXz87yrrYy\">pic.twitter.com\/QXz87yrrYy<\/a><\/p>&mdash; TSN (@TSN_Sports) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TSN_Sports\/status\/2069882783401414671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 24, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just a few seconds later <strong>Nathan Saliba<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A close call off the head of Derek Cornelius added more fuel to the fire for 52,000 fans in the BC Place stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the 80th minute, we had a match again.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marsch continued to press for the the win. <strong>Jacob Shaffelburg<\/strong> was brought on for Richie Laryea with Canada\u2019s final substitution (no Alphonso Davies again\u2026 sigh) to push for the equalizer. The Swiss continued to counter with defensive changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few more opportunities right into stoppage time kept things interesting, but they weren\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Match statistics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>STAT<\/td><td>SUI<\/td><td>CAN<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Possession<\/td><td>55%<\/td><td>45%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Expected Goals<\/td><td>1.06<\/td><td>1.34<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Total Shots<\/td><td>6<\/td><td>13<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Shots on Target<\/td><td>4<\/td><td>7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Touches in Opp. Box<\/td><td>14<\/td><td>23<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Big Chances<\/td><td>3<\/td><td>2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Big Chances Missed<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Accurate Passes<\/td><td>367 (83%)<\/td><td>271 (80%)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Corners<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>7<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Canada weren&#8217;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&#8217;s a win in itself for a country just beginning to make noise on the world stage.&nbsp;They play the&nbsp;second-place team in Group A&nbsp;(South Korea or Czechia) Sunday in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Questions remain about why Eust\u00e1quio didn&#8217;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 &#8220;decoy&#8221; post match, but said he will be ready for the Round of 32. <code>\u00af\\_(\u30c4)_\/\u00af<\/code>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marsch was asked if he thought his ploy worked against the Swiss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI listened to their news conference (and they) had three questions about Alphonso Davies, so they at least had to prepare for that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin was asked what he thought about Marsch\u2019s tactic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou always have to plan with the captain,\u201d Yakin said through an interpreter. \u201cYou have to look at different games and different styles. You have a sense of the substitutes too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOf course, we looked at Davies during this tournament but we didn\u2019t only prepare for individual players. Right now, we only react to what\u2019s happening on the pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The overall positives for Canada were that they went toe-to toe with a true European stalwart.&nbsp;A&nbsp;top-20&nbsp;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Group B standings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>TEAM<\/td><td>W<\/td><td>D<\/td><td>L<\/td><td>P<\/td><td>GF<\/td><td>GA<\/td><td>GD<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>SUI<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>0<\/td><td>7<\/td><td>7<\/td><td>3<\/td><td>+4<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CAN<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>4<\/td><td>8<\/td><td>3<\/td><td>+5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>BIH<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>4<\/td><td>5<\/td><td>6<\/td><td>-1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>QAT<\/td><td>0<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>10<\/td><td>-8<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">*SUI and CAN advance to the Round of 32<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Canada&#39;s 2-1 loss to Switzerland is their first defeat in Vancouver in 10 years \ud83d\ude32<br><br>They finish second in Group B and will face the runners-up of Group A in the round of 32 in Los Angeles. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/AwgVafaNdM\">pic.twitter.com\/AwgVafaNdM<\/a><\/p>&mdash; B\/R Football (@brfootball) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/brfootball\/status\/2069893378326630875?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 24, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to bet on World Cup 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/login\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Log in<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/registration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">register<\/a>&nbsp;an account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigate to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/sport\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sports betting<\/a>&nbsp;page &gt; World Cup hub.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Play futures and player props, build SGPs or bet live.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to live bet World Cup 2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/login\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Log in<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/registration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">register<\/a>&nbsp;an account.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigate to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/live-betting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">live sports page<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow the match trackers with real-time odds and stats, and bet.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You\u2019ve caught World Cup fever but are new to sports betting? We got you.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This article explains&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/sports-betting-and-news\/how-does-sports-betting-work\/\">everything you need to know<\/a>&nbsp;about how to navigate the sportsbook, what certain terms mean, how to understand odds and betting tactics. Give it a read, it\u2019s information you\u2019ll need in your playbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Feature image courtesy AP Photo\/Kaleb Tatum via Canadian Press Images.<br>Statistics courtesy Fotmob.com.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/responsible-gaming\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"856\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Responsible-Gaming-Banner-Sports.webp\" alt=\"ToonieBet is invested in responsible gaming. Please play safe.\" class=\"wp-image-1232\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Responsible-Gaming-Banner-Sports.webp 856w, https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Responsible-Gaming-Banner-Sports-300x70.webp 300w, https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Responsible-Gaming-Banner-Sports-768x179.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 856px) 100vw, 856px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The content is provided for general informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute betting advice, financial advice, or a recommendation to place any wager. Odds are subject to change. Sports wagering involves risk, and there is no guarantee of success or profit. For Ontario residents, participation in regulated online gaming is restricted to individuals 19 years of age or older. Please play responsibly. If gambling is no longer fun or may be causing harm, support is available through recognized gambling resources like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/connexontario.ca\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ConnexOntario<\/a>. Terms and conditions apply where applicable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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&#8217;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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":1510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[78,64,68],"tags":[74,79],"class_list":["post-1493","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","category-sports-betting-and-news","category-world-cup-2026","tag-soccer","tag-world-cup-2026"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1493"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1493\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1550,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1493\/revisions\/1550"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}