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The good news is that Canada’s men’s soccer team has made history, advancing to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time.
The not-so-good news is that Canada’s loss to Switzerland in group stage action at Vancouver’s B.C. Place on Wednesday has made its path in the knockout stage — where one loss means you’re eliminated from the competition — more challenging.
The 2-1 loss meant Canada finished second in Group B behind the Swiss.
As second-place finishers, Canada now heads to Los Angeles to take on South Africa on Sunday.
Results from games on Wednesday night will determine the final standings in that group. Heading into Wednesday, South Korea stood second in Group A.
Had Les Rouges won, they would have topped Group B ahead of Switzerland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Qatar.
The Group B winner is scheduled to play at B.C. Place on July 2. That game in Vancouver will now feature Switzerland against a third-place finisher from one of five groups.
WATCH | Canada fans react to loss to Switzerland:
World Cup fans react to Canada’s loss against Switzerland
The Canadian men’s soccer team dropped their final group-stage game by a score of 2-1 Wednesday, but will still advance to the knockout round. Rachelle Elsiufi has reaction from fans at Lansdowne Park.
Following Wednesday’s game, Canada coach Jesse Marsch acknowledged that matches like the one against the Swiss are often a “matter of fine margins.”
It’s safe to say that had Canada won Group B, some of those margins could have worked in their favour.
Had they won, Les Rouges would have played their first-ever knockout game on home soil the day after Canada Day. They also would have been playing a third-place team from another group rather than a second-place team.
It also would have given Canada an extra few days to prepare and rest, which is critical given some key Canadian players are dealing with injuries.
Marsch acknowledged that his team has a long road ahead, but believes his players are up for the challenge.
“We wanted to be here in Vancouver, but we still have a massive opportunity ahead of us to find a way to still electrify the nation, even though it’ll be from Los Angeles,” Marsch said.
If Canada wins its Round of 32 match in Los Angeles, it will advance to a Round of 16 game in Houston on July 4. A win there would send the team to a quarterfinal in Boston on July 9. Getting a win in Boston would advance Canada to a July 14 semifinal match in Dallas.