VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canada’s World Cup run suffered a setback as Switzerland beat the hosts 2-1, with Rubén Vargas scoring just 40 seconds after the second-half restart to open the scoring.
Johan Manzambi doubled Switzerland’s lead before substitute Promise David pulled one back for Canada with his first touch, 73 seconds after entering the match. Canada pressed for an equalizer but were unable to find a second goal.
The result means Canada surrendered top spot in Group B to Switzerland and will now travel to Los Angeles for their round-of-32 match against the runners-up of Group A, most likely South Korea. Their only victory at the tournament so far remains a 6-0 win over Qatar, a side ranked 61st by FIFA; Switzerland sit 17th. According to the report, Canada qualified for the World Cup knockout stages for the first time in the nation’s history.
While both the United States and Mexico topped their groups, Canada became the first host nation to progress from a World Cup group stage with as few as four points since the U.S. in 1994, a statistic that underlines how much the team must still improve.
An hour before kickoff, the stadium erupted when midfielder Ismaël Koné, whose tournament was ended by a broken leg, was wheeled out to acknowledge supporters holding 8,000 distributed “No. 8” signs. The scenes highlighted the strong connection between the team and its fans, a bond the report said will endure despite the disappointing outcome.
Manager Jesse Marsch, speaking to TSN after the match, said the team was grateful for the crowd’s energy but acknowledged the next game in Los Angeles will be tougher, probably with an away crowd. The report added that Canada will need raised performance levels if they hope to advance further in the tournament.
