For nearly an hour, it felt as though the weight of history was pressing down on Canada.
The hosts dominated possession, created chances, and roared forward in front of 43,002 supporters at Toronto Stadium. But Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stubborn resistance threatened to turn Canada’s long-awaited FIFA World Cup homecoming into frustration.
Then the world saw Cyle Larin deliver the moment a nation had been waiting for.
The veteran striker came off the bench to score a crucial equalizer as Canada battled back for a 1-1 draw Friday, securing the country’s first-ever point at a FIFA World Cup.
It was a deserved reward for a Canadian side that refused to stop attacking despite falling behind against the run of play in the first half.
A tense beginning on the biggest stage
Canada, who handed Tani Oluwaseyi a surprise start alongside star striker Jonathan David, began brightly as they pressed aggressively from the opening whistle. But Bosnia quickly showed why they had qualified for the tournament when they upset Italy in the playoffs.
After surviving Canada’s early pressure, the visitors struck in the 20th minute through Jovo Lukic. Sead Kolasinac flicked on a corner at the near post and Lukic was left with the simplest of finishes from close range, silencing the sea of red inside Toronto Stadium.
Canada’s response was immediate but wasteful and it exposed a vulnerability they struggled with throughout the opening half as Bosnia repeatedly kept the Canucks at bay.
David, who should have scored in the 16th minute when a loose ball fell kindly inside the penalty area, continued to keep Bosnia honest. Oluwaseyi too later curled a promising opportunity over the bar as Canada continued to pile on pressure.
By halftime, the hosts had controlled possession, won a flurry of corners, and spent long stretches camped inside Bosnia’s half. Yet they trailed 1-0, unable to find a breakthrough against a disciplined defensive block.
After the match, Marsch admitted the occasion may have affected his players.
“I think so,” Marsch said when asked whether the magnitude of a home World Cup contributed to Canada’s nervous start. “Obviously a home World Cup is a different occasion and it’s a different feel.”
Larin answers Canada’s call
The second half, though, brought a different version of Canada.
Oluwaseyi nearly created an equalizer moment after the restart before Sead Kolasinac produced one of the tournament’s first great defensive moments, scrambling back to divert David’s effort onto the crossbar after a flowing Canadian move.
Bosnia still carried a threat of its own with Ermedin Demirovic forcing a crucial save from goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, but the momentum increasingly belonged to the hosts.
Ali Ahmed, Promise David, and Larin were introduced from the bench and the trio injected fresh energy into Canada’s attack. As the pressure became relentless, the breakthrough finally arrived in the 79th minute.
Ismael Kone drove forward before feeding Promise David, whose clever first-time flick found Larin inside the penalty area. The striker spun sharply and volleyed toward goal. His effort took a slight deflection before flying past Vasilj and the stadium erupted in celebration.
“I knew Kyle wasn’t happy about not starting,” Marsch said afterward. “I just said, ‘Look, you can come underneath at times, but make sure you’re getting yourself in the box and find ways to get chances and score a goal.’ So he did that right away.”
Canada nearly completed the comeback deep into stoppage time when Larin found himself in front of goal once again, only for Tarik Muharemovic to produce a heroic block.
As the final whistle blew, it brought relief, celebration, and a piece of Canadian history.
“Yeah, well, it’s our first ever point in Canadian history, right? So we should also be happy and enjoy that,” Marsch said. “We need the home crowd to push the team, to put pressure on referees, to create a hostile environment for the opposing teams. And we’ll need that in Vancouver, too.”
Canada next faces Qatar in Vancouver on June 18 before taking on Switzerland on June 24.
