Canada Begin Home World Cup With a Draw
After Mexico hosted the opening match of the tournament, Canada now welcomes its first fixture, where the hosts shared the points in a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto.
Alphonso Davies was not available for the hosts, as he has not recovered from the injury sustained in the UCL final.
Star striker Edin Dzeko was an unused substitute on the Bosnian side even though the team needed goals to seal the match. This decision by Bosnian manager Barbarez was not expected by viewers while the team was craving a goal against the hosts.
In the first half, Canada started the match well by creating chances in the Bosnian box, but the defense led by Kolasinac neutralized all attempts of players, including Jonathan David and Oluwaseyi, with a well-disciplined defense.
Lukic Gives Bosnia the Lead
Bosnians had a physical edge over Canada, which they capitalized on from a set piece and scored a goal with Lukic's head.
But Bosnia was not able to create consecutive chances against Canada because Canada dominated possession elegantly with Ismail Kone in the midfield. Canada created multiple chances but failed to convert in the first half.
Marsch's Substitutions Change the Game
In the second half the hosts had the pressure of trailing by a goal in front of the home audience, but the substitution by Jesse Marsch had a huge impact on the game. He substituted Tajon Buchanan for Ali Ahmed in the 61st minute and Tani Oluwaseyi for Mallorca striker Cyle Larin in the 76th minute.
Both players had a decisive impact in the game. Ali Ahmed was able to pose more of a threat in the left wing against Kolasinac, which eventually shook their defense. Larin came on and scored an equalizer goal within two minutes by defeating the solid Bosnian defense.
Missed Chances Cost the Hosts
The result leaves mixed feelings for Canada. While Jesse Marsch's side showed resilience to recover from a goal down, the inability to convert several clear-cut opportunities prevented them from securing what would have been their first-ever World Cup victory.
Bosnia's Defense Stands Firm
Bosnia was defensively solid with good tackles, interceptions, aerial challenges, and multiple decisive goal line saves.
Kolasinac had an impressive day in the defense with 12 defensive contributions, 1 assist, and a clearance off the line; the 32-year-old left back pulled off a man-of-the-match-level performance against a tough opponent.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, meanwhile, will be pleased with their defensive organization but may have concerns about their lack of creativity in possession, particularly against a compact Canadian shape.