{"id":735738,"date":"2026-06-14T07:24:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T07:24:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/735738\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T07:24:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T07:24:17","slug":"marsch-and-canada-left-wanting-more-after-world-cup-opener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/735738\/","title":{"rendered":"Marsch and Canada Left Wanting More After World Cup Opener"},"content":{"rendered":"

Canada\u2019s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina was, perhaps, the most dangerous of the lot.<\/p>\n

All the nerves and emotions of playing the first match of a home men\u2019s World Cup, the desperate quest to earn the country\u2019s first point at the quadrennial competition, and the uncertainty about how Canada would match up with a dangerous side that had knocked both Wales and Italy out of the UEFA Playoffs.<\/p>\n

Even then, it seems odd to call that first half a slow start<\/a>. Canada was all over Bosnia. The only stat they trailed in at halftime was the most important one: the scoreline.<\/p>\n

Jesse Marsch made three changes in the 61st minute and then the crucial one that saw Cyle Larin introduced 15 minutes later. Jonathan Osorio came on for Stephen Eust\u00e1quio in stoppage-time.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn one level, you can say the subs made a big impact,\u201d observed the coach post-match. \u201cBut I\u2019ve got to figure out how to get a little bit more out of some of the starters and make sure that we have a better performance from the start.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told them after the match that if we play like that second half the whole match we win,\u201d Marsch underlined. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to find a way to have a bit more confidence, a bit more self belief, and go after the game. The good part was, in a difficult moment, we responded.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CanadaPhoto Credit: John Jacques<\/p>\n

The late equalizer from Larin was a moment of pure, unadulterated joy, that stadium has never been louder. But there was a hint of relief in it as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was,\u201d agreed Alistair Johnston. \u201cIt\u2019s been something for us this past year, sometimes the ball won\u2019t go in the back of the net. When you see the one that gets saved off the line, hits the crossbar, and somehow doesn\u2019t go in, you do have that sense of it\u2019s just not going to be our day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Cyle took a great touch, turns \u2013 I think those were his first two touches of the game. It was a great finish and then you could see it, the weight off of our shoulders, the weight off of the fans\u2019 shoulders, and we were really pushing for it there in that last 10 minutes,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt was a bummer that we just couldn\u2019t get [another] one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CanadaPhoto Credit: John Jacques<\/p>\n

Canada will dive into the details, take the lessons from the day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some set-piece things that we can do better, for sure, but for me it\u2019s the mentality and the bravery,\u201d emphasized Marsch, referencing both the defensive and offensive aspects of corner kicks \u2013 Canada rarely threatened on their nine attempts, Bosnia needed just one to score.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure that the team is equipped from the start, for all these matches, to understand the plan, to understand the set-piece plan and the opponent and what their plan might be, but to really go after the game and represent exactly what we wanted to be,\u201d he stressed. \u201cWe did that in the second half and not in the first half, and that was the difference for us on the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll learn from this,\u201d Marsch added. \u201cIf you look at World Cups historically, teams can start a little bit tense in the beginning matches and then the games come more to life and you see truer versions of teams. It will be really important that we use this experience to be better and stronger and more prepared for exactly what we want the game to look like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bosnia too, as the thousands of fans in the stadium and the many more watching elsewhere in Toronto, were playing for their nation\u2019s pride. There were times, when Jovo Lukic scored the goal, when a Bosnian song was played during the prematch festivities, that they were louder than the Canadians despite being outnumbered.<\/p>\n

They and their side showed up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew that Bosnia has experience, that they\u2019re aggressive and that they\u2019re savvy and confident \u2013 they showed that in the qualifiers to get into the World Cup,\u201d said Marsch. \u201cThey were exactly what we thought they would would be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to give Bosnia a lot of credit,\u201d he continued. \u201cTo come here in a first home World Cup match for Canada, not an easy situation, and for them to deliver that kind of performance and hang on for a point. It could have gone either way \u2013 they had chances to make it 2-0, we had chances to find the win. In the end, I think that a draw is a fair result.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CanadaPhoto Credit: John Jacques<\/p>\n

Aside from the goals and the occasion, perhaps the biggest talking point was Jonathan David coming off. Especially with some of their biggest stars \u2013 like Alphonse Davies and Mo\u00efse Bombito \u2013 sidelined. Canada need the others to have big performances.<\/p>\n

Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9 had himself a game, Eust\u00e1quio too was solid, Maxime Cr\u00e9peau came up big when called upon. David was relatively quiet, sending his best look of the game straight at the goalkeeper.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven performances from some of our front players and given the weapons that we had on the bench I wanted to make some changes,\u201d explained Marsch. \u201cI wanted to bring guys in that I thought could bring a little bit more energy. As much as the start of the [second] half was better, we needed to really push the game and find some ways to be sharper.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJohnny didn\u2019t have his best day,\u201d he admitted. \u201cIt\u2019s normal that a player doesn\u2019t always play at his peak, but he\u2019s an incredibly important player for us. Make no mistake, he scored and set up more goals than anyone since we\u2019ve been here and we\u2019ll need him in this tournament to be at his best and find a way to use this experience to be better for the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout him in top form,\u201d Marsch said plainly. \u201cWe\u2019re not the same team that we have the potential to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Friday was history: Canada\u2019s first point at the World Cup.<\/p>\n

\"CanadaPhoto Credit: John Jacques<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s our third World Cup and it took us that long to get one,\u201d said Johnston. \u201cWe can\u2019t turn our noses up at the fact that we are making history.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goals are loftier than that, but at the same time you do need to check off those boxes,\u201d he continued. \u201cFirst point out of the way, now it\u2019s about getting that first win, that\u2019s going to be important if you want to get out of this group.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Qatar scoring a late equalizer of their own against Switzerland, at the conclusion of the first round of games in Group B its ones all the way down.<\/p>\n

Marsch and every single player who spoke mentioned the crowd.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first time it felt like a home game,\u201d said Larin. Laryea called it, \u201ca brilliant atmosphere.\u201d Luc de Fougerolles, \u201cone of the best moments of my life,\u201d<\/p>\n

Said Kon\u00e9, en fran\u00e7ais: \u201cThe stadium was full, but it wasn\u2019t just full.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was passion, there was emotion, there was support, there was heart,\u201d he continued. \u201cI never would have imagined it when I was little.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo Credit: John Jacques<\/p>\n

Every team needs to feel that, especially at home.<\/p>\n

Marsch said it drove the team on.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs [the fans] started to feel that the team was growing into the game, specifically in the second half, you could feel them cheering louder and being more anticipatory and pushing the group, whether it was a corner or a free kick or being hard on the referee when maybe he gives a soft foul for Bosnia or whatever,\u201d he listed. \u201cThat\u2019s what we need.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need the home crowd to push the team, to put pressure on referees, to create a hostile environment for the opposing teams,\u201d Marsch urged. \u201cAnd we\u2019ll need that in Vancouver too,\u201d<\/p>\n

With the next two group stages games switching to the Pacific Coast, it\u2019s your turn now Vancouver.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to pave the way for the future, but also capture the now,\u201d said the head coach. \u201cVancouver, I know that it\u2019s a football city, I know they love their Whitecaps, I know they love their national team, so I expect a full stadium again, red jerseys \u2013 how awesome was that to look around and see all those red jerseys, the sea of red in the stadium \u2013 and to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo push the team from the start of the match, make them feel love, make them feel confidence, and really make them feel the home crowd,\u201d Marsch closed. \u201cThat was a big factor in why we were able to get the point.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Canada\u2019s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina was, perhaps, the most dangerous…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":735739,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[49,48,184210,44,13009],"class_list":["post-735738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canmnt","tag-news","tag-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/735738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=735738"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/735738\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/735739"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=735738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=735738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=735738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}