VANCOUVER — Canada opened this World Cup without its two best players.
Alphonso Davies was injured. But Jonathan David went missing during Canada’s 1-1 draw Friday in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As Thursday’s critical game here against Qatar approaches, for what veteran midfielder Stephen Eustaquio agreed (more or less) will be one of the biggest moments in Canadian soccer history, many of the post-practice questions on Tuesday were about Davies.
But the more immediate question is about David and, if Canada’s all-time leading international scorer starts on Thursday, how much leash he will get from head coach Jesse Marsch after being substituted 61 minutes into Friday’s game.
The second-half insertion of imposing, powerful forwards Promise David and Cyle Larin, backed by incoming attacking wingers Ali Ahmed and Jacob Shaffelburg, was a game-changer for Canada. Larin, who replaced Tani Oluwaseyi in the 76th minute after Promise replaced Jonathan in the swap of Davids, scored the historic tying goal as Canada earned its first World Cup point after losing all three of its group-stage games in the 2022 and 1986 tournaments.
After Larin was a surprising non-starter against Bosnia, it’s difficult to imagine he won’t be part of the 11-man lineup against Qatar. But what about Jonathan David?
When the 26-year-old meekly side-footed a 14-yard shot straight at Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj in the 17th minute on Friday, Marsch convulsed in frustration and looked during his involuntary touchline dance like a coach as exasperated with his player as he was with his player’s miss.
Beyond David's difficult first club season with mighty Juventus in Italy, the centre forward has scored only in one of Canada’s last 10 internationals — a pair of successful penalty kicks in a 2-2 friendly against Iceland in March.
Marsch has not spoken to reporters since the World Cup team relocated to Vancouver from Toronto on Saturday, but select teammates have answered questions after practices at the University of British Columbia.
“I think Jesse said that yesterday was probably his best training session he's had with the national team in a while, and I'd agree,” right back Alistair Johnston said Tuesday when asked about David, not Marsch. “I think with a guy like Jonny, people get too hung up on the goals and assists. For me, at the end of the day, he's just a really, really talented footballer. And I know when he's on his best, it's not necessarily that he's contributing to the goal list. The spaces that he picks up, how he sees the game, and how he feels the game is unique to anyone in our nation, to be honest.
“So, look, I'm not too bothered about whether he's scoring or not. Of course, I'd love him to be the top scorer of the World Cup; that means that we probably went pretty far. But for me, when you see him getting on the ball, getting turned, playing guys through, that's when you know he's at his best. And look, I have no doubt that he's going to bounce back and have a really big tournament for us because he is, at the end of the day, one of our most talented players and one of our smartest players.”
David and Davies are the best soccer players Canada has produced.
The dynamic Davies, Canada’s captain, has been working his way back from a hamstring injury suffered with his German club team, Bayern Munich, nearly six weeks ago. A Canadian team spokesman offered no update Tuesday on Davies’ status, but the 25-year-old began training with the “first 15” for the second straight day.
The media, however, is allowed to watch only the opening 15 minutes, just long enough to see players juggle balls and, on Tuesday, playfully slap Ismael Kone on the occasion of the central midfielder’s 24th birthday. It’s impossible to know Davies’ full involvement.
But the way Johnson, Eustaquio and fullback Richie Laryea spoke of Davies — “We just want to give him the opportunity to play in this World Cup,” Eustaquio said — it didn’t feel like the star’s return was imminent.
Jonathan David, however, is a massive X-factor on Thursday.
With 39 goals in 78 appearances for Canada, he has been a lethal finisher for his country. But there needs to be better chemistry and more attacking menace from whichever pair of strikers start against Qatar than what David and Oluwaseyi displayed against Bosnia.
Canada’s talent pool has evolved to the point that Marsch needs to choose the right players, not just the most talented ones, although it simplifies things when you get both.
Canada’s biggest game will be preceded by some of Marsch’s biggest decisions since he took over the national men’s team two years ago.
“We've been having tough games through our recent past but, yeah, I think this is one of the biggest games so far for me in the men's national team,” Eustaquio, 29, said. “I think everybody knows that if we do (get) three points this next game, it puts us in a good stage to get out of the group.
“We're very calm. We just have to be ourselves and if we’re ourselves, that’s going to be enough.”
They looked like themselves — fast, aggressive and connected — as they rallied against Bosnia by dominating the final half-hour. The single point (and the extra two points they denied their opponent) was important, and so, for their confidence, was scoring a goal.
But with their final opening-round game against Group B favourites Switzerland next Wednesday, Canada may need to beat Qatar to advance to the Round of 32.
“I think the urgency is to just get that first goal,” Eustaquio said. “We want to be the aggressors. Obviously, you guys know... what happened in Qatar (at the last World Cup). We knew that after that first game (losing to Belgium), it was going to be very hard. So it was very important for us to get this tie against Bosnia. Now we get Qatar, which is going to be very tough. But at the same time, we're home, we're not in Qatar. We're home and I think that's very important for us to have our fans beside us.”
Laryea, the 31-year-old who has spent most of his professional career in Canada and was excellent as Davies’ fill-in against Bosnia, told reporters: “I think we all know how big of a moment this is for our country, so we want to do as well as possible. We all within that locker room speak about wanting to make this country a soccer country, a footballing country, and I think we know this is a perfect opportunity to do so. So I think, yeah, you could use the word pressure; I think we would use the word ready.”
