Canada remain a work in progress as the World Cup knockouts loom

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — In the space of one solitary second-half minute against Switzerland, Canada saw their World Cup bubble temporarily burst.

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. 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 Canada had their opponents under siege as they probed for an equalizer.

Ultimately, though, Canada’s only victory at this tournament so far has come against Qatar, a team currently No. 61 in the FIFA world rankings. Either side of that 6-0 rout was a 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Wednesday’s defeat to a Switzerland team that sits No. 17 in the world.

The latter is a result that sees Canada surrender the top spot in Group B to Murat Yakin’s side, and therefore spurn the chance to remain in Vancouver for their round-of-32 game. Instead, Les Rouges will now travel to Los Angeles, where they will take on the runner-up of Group A — most likely South Korea, who will benefit from the considerable Korean support in Southern California.

Though both the United States and Mexico have topped their respective groups, Canada are the first host nation to progress from a World Cup group stage with as few as four points since the U.S. in 1994. It’s a statistic that should not undermine the scale of their achievement so far, but nonetheless, it offers a stark reminder that there is still plenty of work to do if they hope to go deeper into this tournament.

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An hour before kickoff, an almighty roar rippled around the stadium. The noise was not prompted by the action on the pitch but rather the sight of midfielder Ismaël Koné emerging from the tunnel, just days after his tournament was abruptly ended by a broken leg.

Still, as he was pushed in a wheelchair, Kone smiled widely and waved to his adoring fans, many of whom held aloft one of the 8,000 “No. 8” signs that were distributed outside the stadium to show support for Kone. It was a gesture reflective of the synergy that has built between fans and their national team over the course of this tournament.

The strength of that bond will not waver in the face of a disappointing result against Switzerland, but it’s impossible to deny Canada’s assignment in the next round will be made more difficult by the lack of home support. The fan marches through the streets of Toronto and Vancouver have helped to deliver some of the most memorable sporting occasions in the country’s history. The co-hosts must now show they can deliver when pinned with the underdog tag.

“It’s been awesome and that’s the disappointment because we just want to continue the energy we have had here in Canada,” Marsch told TSN after the match. “I’ve been through World Cups and had big moments in my career and when you get one big win, building on that is so important.

“So I’m disappointed we didn’t get a win or draw to keep us here, but I am grateful to the stadium and the country for the energy today. But we are going to L.A. and it’s probably going to be an away crowd, so it will be tougher, but we still want to electrify our country and play really well down there.”

Certainly, performance levels will need to be elevated if Canada are to reach the last 16. Marsch’s side made a shaky start to Wednesday’s contest, with both of Switzerland’s goals coming as a result of direct balls that too easily bypassed the Canadian defense.

Goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau will know he should have done better after a getting a hand to Manzambi’s scuffed strike, while, in the middle of the park, Canada also missed the commanding presence of Kone and his midfield partner Stephen Eustáquio, who was only fit enough for a place on the bench.

The return of Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies — who Marsch confirmed would be fit to play in the next round — should provide Canada with a much-needed injection of pace and dynamism, although he alone cannot be expected to steer his nation to success.

“The way the crowds have been for us, they’ve been sensational,” midfielder Liam Millar said after the match. “In Toronto and in Vancouver, I’ve never seen an atmosphere like this. I’ve never seen such passion in the stadiums for our games. It’s really been helping us, even in the dying minutes of this game. … It’s just unfortunate we didn’t get the draw or the win to keep us in this stadium.”

Millar is right to highlight the unprecedented nature of these past few weeks. With the nation behind them, Canada have navigated through uncharted territory and written their name into the history books.

The challenge now for Marsch’s side is to prove it can bounce back and show it is capable of writing new chapters in this unforgettable story.