Canada’s soccer coach Jesse Marsch expressed satisfaction with his team’s fighting spirit after they battled back to earn a 1-1 tie against Bosnia and Herzegovina in their World Cup Group B opening match on Friday in Toronto. The draw represents a historic milestone as Canada’s first-ever point earned in World Cup competition.
Bosnia took the lead through Jovo Lukic’s 21st-minute strike, but Canada refused to fold under pressure. Their persistence in the second half was rewarded when substitute forward Cyle Larin netted the equalizer in the 78th minute, shortly after entering the match.
“I told them after the match that if we play like that second half, the whole match, we win,” Marsch stated.
“I told them we’ve got to learn these lessons and we’ve got to learn them quick,” he continued. “We still have everything in hand, that’s a really big point for us.”
The 31-year-old Larin’s goal was particularly meaningful as Canada’s inaugural World Cup score on home turf. Larin ranks second among Canada’s all-time leading scorers, trailing only Jonathan David.
“Kyle wasn’t happy about not starting,” Marsch revealed about the striker who netted eight goals for Southampton in the Championship this season.
“But I said to him, ‘Look, you’ve had a great year at Southampton, whether you’ve started or come off the bench, you’ve had an impact in every game, and now you have to wrap your mind around that.’ And he did.”
Marsch noted his squad increased their intensity during the second half, generating more dangerous scoring opportunities while searching for the tying goal.
“We could see that (Bosnia) were fading,” Marsch observed, explaining that he recognized his team’s youth, conditioning and pace could eventually overwhelm Bosnia. “So, I told them that we’ve got them now.
“It’s time to put your foot on the jugular and go for the goal.”
Despite maintaining reasonable possession after conceding the early goal, Marsch admitted disappointment with his team’s opening 45 minutes.
“I’m disappointed with the first half,” Marsch acknowledged. “I just felt we were tentative. We didn’t play as aggressively as I would have liked.”
Energized by the supportive home crowd, Canada maintained their attacking pressure and continued creating opportunities until Larin finally delivered the equalizer from the bench. Canada recorded 13 total shots with four on target.
Though Marsch credited his second-half substitutions for making an impact, he wants his team to display that same intensity from the opening whistle in their upcoming match against Qatar on June 18.
“I got to figure out how to get a little bit more out of some of the starters too, and make sure that we have a better performance from the start,” Marsch said.
