#Letakan iklan disini
Football Jun 27, 2026

World Cup 2026: Switzerland 2-1 Canada - Host nation forced to settle for second in Group B as Swiss overpower Jesse Marsch's men to claim top spot

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
World Cup 2026: Switzerland 2-1 Canada - Host nation forced to settle for second in Group B as Swiss overpower Jesse Marsch's men to claim top spot

Switzerland claimed top spot in Group B after silencing the home fans in Vancouver with a 2-1 win over Canada.

Jesse Marsch's side headed into the game knowing a point would be enough to top the group thanks to their superior goal difference, but a second-half flurry from the Swiss left shell-shocked and forced to settle for second.

After a first half in which neither side wanted to impose themselves on proceedings, Ruben Vargas burst the game into life with a fierce strike 40 seconds into the second half to give Murat Yakin's side the advantage.

That lead was doubled just 10 minutes later as Johan Manzambi capitalised on poor defending to squeeze an effort underneath Maxime Crepeau who should have done better.

Promise David did pull one back for Canada with his first touch off the bench, but it wasn't enough. Defeat for the host nation means that they will not have the luxury of remaining in Vancouver for their round of 32 tie. As things stand, South Korea would be the likely opponent for the Canadians in Los Angeles, while Switzerland will face the third-place team in either Group E, F, G, I or J.

11: Embolo wastes good early chance for Switzerland

46: GOAL! Vargas fires Switzerland ahead 40 seconds into the second half

57: GOAL! Manzambi makes it two after calamitous defending

68: Elvedi makes great block to deny David from halving deficit

76: GOAL! David pulls one back 73 seconds after introduction!

90+3: David is denied a second and late equaliser by Kobel

90+6: Kobel needed again to keep out Canada late on

Your Site' Callum Bishop:

Jesse Marsch promised his team wouldn't go out to play for a draw. Yet, it was only when they were in a position where they needed to salvage one that they turned up.

For the first three quarters of an hour, they were passive, sloppy and didn't do anything to get the crowd on their feet. They played like a team who knew they were pretty much guaranteed to go through. The idea of taking top spot to stay in Vancouver for the round of 32 didn't appear to motivate them.

The introduction of Promise David lit a fire, and had that happened earlier, perhaps the result would be different. But it was too little too late.

Marsch said at full-time that he wished he'd have switched to the back five at the break. He moaned about how his side managed certain moments, but then deflected to praise the response from his team. That was called out by Ian Wright, who described the former Leeds man as "performative" and accused him of not pushing enough to secure that top spot.

Maybe Marsch wanted to put a positive spin on the result knowing that the Canadians have already made history by reaching the last 32. They're still in the tournament - no point beating themselves up, right? But the way they were so passive throughout, with their fans behind them, is going to cause frustration.

Canada boss Jesse Marsch:

"I know our team has heart, right? I know that we have a group that will give everything to every moment. And that is something to be so proud of. It's just then managing little moments. Even the start of the game, I thought we were a little bit tentative and not really aggressive and not sprinting enough.

"But we're going to focus on the positives. We're going to focus on the response. Again, good performances off the bench.

"The only thing I wish I would have done differently is that I had gone to five at the back to really lock things down at half-time. And when we come out like that, then obviously I wish I would have done that. I think I should have done that."

On Alphonso Davies not playing: "Alphonso will be ready [for the next round]. We thought about Alphonso, but we were trying to just manage him and not put him in a situation where we felt like he would be at danger. He should be ready for the next match."

Tags:

football report

Share this article

Related Posts

Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd & Spurs transfers: How Elliot Anderson deal could affect midfielder market this summer

Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd & Spurs transfers: How Elliot Anderson deal could affect midfielder market this summer

Elliot Anderson's imminent £116m transfer to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest is expected to have a knock-on effect for other deals for midfield...

Newcastle interested in Germany midfielder Felix Nmecha as Arsenal explore Bruno Guimaraes transfer

Newcastle interested in Germany midfielder Felix Nmecha as Arsenal explore Bruno Guimaraes transfer

Newcastle are interested in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha, Sky Sport News can exclusively reveal, as Arsenal see an informal proposal for...

Marco Palestra to Chelsea: Why Atalanta wing-back's dribbling and running power makes him a fit for the Premier League

Marco Palestra to Chelsea: Why Atalanta wing-back's dribbling and running power makes him a fit for the Premier League

"He seems like a player built on the PlayStation," Cagliari head coach Fabio Pisacane told Sky in Italy recently. "Ninety-nine per cent acceleration a...

Elliot Anderson: What makes Nottingham Forest and England midfielder worth more than £100m?

Elliot Anderson: What makes Nottingham Forest and England midfielder worth more than £100m?

The only thing that might divide opinion on Elliot Anderson this summer is his hefty price tag. The 23-year-old's profile as the perfect all-round mid...

World Cup 2026 news and live updates - USA, Canada and Mexico latest including Trump, tickets and fans

World Cup 2026 news and live updates - USA, Canada and Mexico latest including Trump, tickets and fans

Tuchel: High chance Anderson's Man City move done next weekEngland boss Thomas Tuchel has spoken about Elliot Anderson performance's pe...

World Cup 2026: Colombia 0-0 Portugal - Davinson Sanchez's late goal ruled out for offside as Colombia finish top of Group K with Portugal runners-up

World Cup 2026: Colombia 0-0 Portugal - Davinson Sanchez's late goal ruled out for offside as Colombia finish top of Group K with Portugal runners-up

Colombia secured top spot in Group K after an entertaining 0-0 draw against Portugal in their final group game, as Roberto Martinez's side finished ru...