Canada remain a work in progress as the World Cup ...
Key takeaways
- Up until Wednesday's clash, this had felt like a new frontier for soccer in the country, a summer with the potential to catapult the national team to global notoriety.
- The scenes at full time remained celebratory -- after all, this was still a day on which Canada made history by qualifying for the World Cup knockout stages for the first time ever.
- Ultimately, though, Canada's only victory at this tournament so far came against Qatar, a team currently rated 61st in the FIFA world rankings.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Up until Wednesday's clash, this had felt like a new frontier for soccer in the country, a summer with the potential to catapult the national team to global notoriety. However, after Switzerland forward Rubén Vargas set his team on the way to a 2-1 victory with a goal just 40 seconds after the break, it became abundantly clear the tournament co-hosts are still very much a work in progress.
The scenes at full time remained celebratory -- after all, this was still a day on which Canada made history by qualifying for the World Cup knockout stages for the first time ever. And the response from Jesse Marsch's side after Switzerland made it 2-0 through Johan Manzambi was heartening. Substitute Promise David scored with his first touch just 73 seconds after entering the pitch, after which point Canada had their opponents under siege as they probed for an equalizer.
Ultimately, though, Canada's only victory at this tournament so far came against Qatar, a team currently rated 61st in the FIFA world rankings. Either side of that 6-0 rout was a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina and this defeat to a Switzerland side that sits 17th in the world.