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Photo Credit: Canada Soccer
Canada Settle for a Single Point in World Cup Opener
By BMO Field, or Toronto Stadium as it will be known this month, has changed a lot over the years.
At first it was a simple erector set of a stadium, all falling bolts – extraneous they were called – and spilled beer, the east stand crowned by the CN Tower. Roofs and a second tier would come with time, but never has it felt the way it did today.
Yes, some is temporary – what isn’t in this world – but what a glorious day for Canadian soccer it was, as the men’s national team opened their home World Cup campaign against Bosnia and Herzegovina, even if it was only a 1-1 draw.
Despite what felt like a longer than usual pause between warm-ups and the opening whistle, all the elements too numerous to mention, when the match finally began both sides were up for it.
Canada hinted the day before that they would target that opening period as a good chance to really go at Bosnia, maybe catch them off guard. Ismaël Koné drove straight forward from the opening kickoff. Long throws, corner kicks, Canada were asking questions. Bosnia’s response was to smash an effort over the bar, Amar Memic pouncing on a loose ball.
Impossible to say whether it was nerves or just adrenaline, Canada were a little off: Richie Laryea nearly ran out of time to take a throw in as the referee counted him down, Alistair Johnston was forced into taking a yellow card following a poor touch from Tani Oluwaseyi. And yet, Jesse Marsch wanted it faster, gesturing with a spin of his hands that he wanted more.
It nearly paid off, a glorious chance falling to Jonathan David in the 17th minute, his shot, unfortunately, only had eyes for the safety of the goalkeepers hands. And it would be the visitors who took the lead minutes later when Jovo Lukic got on the end of a Sead Kolasinac near-post flick from a corner kick to score the opener.
A hydration break later, Canada were back at it, but that lack of connection continued and no matter how many corner kicks Canada flung in, Bosnia rarely seemed troubled as they settled into a posture of absorb and counter. Oluwaseyi had a look nearly as good as David’s in the 33rd minute, but could only send it sailing high.
If not the intensity itself, the rate of incidents at least increased as the second half began. Oluwaseyi collided with goalkeeper Nikola Vsailj just inside the box, an offside flag sparing too much analysis of whether it was worthy of a penalty. Laryea nearly capped off Canada’s best passage of playing, linking up with Stephen Eustáquio, only for a defender’s toe to tip it onto the bar. Maxime Crépeau then stayed big when Demirovic found a seam and was nearly in clear on goal.
Marsch went to his bench in the 61st minute with Jacob Shaffelburg, Ali Ahmed, and Promise David coming on. The first two, for Millar and Tajon Buchanan, were straight-forward enough, but Promise coming on for Jonathan was not even on the bingo cards.
That injection of pace and power had Bosnia on their heels – a driving Shaffelburg run up the left led to an Oluwaseyi goalward header at the back-post, but it was easily prevented from continuing on its route.
Canadian fans had been quieted some in the first half, dispersed as they were, but found voice in the second.
Though nothing compared to the roar when Cyle Larin, moments after coming on, latched onto a ball from Promise David and thumped it into the south end goal.
A goal at the World Cup for the much-maligned Larin’s writing his name in history Canada’s first at the home World Cup was somehow fitting. His exclusion from the starting lineup was the only surprise and as he prepared to come on one got that feeling he was due – the ‘C’ is for ‘Canada’ after all (his mom once told me that).
Larin nearly found the winner after some excellent work from Laryea on the left – the two Sigma products combining, but he could not pull the trigger in stoppage-time, and Canada would be forced to settle for a share of the points.
The scene now shifts to Vancouver where Canada will next be in action on Thursday, June 18th against Qatar.
