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Canada’s next goal is first FIFA World Cup victory after securing draw

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Canada salvaged a point in its FIFA World Cup opener. An elusive victory is next on the to-do list. 

Everything is lined up nicely for a 30th-ranked team that is moving from Toronto to Vancouver for its next two group-stage games. A matchup against No. 56 Qatar is up on Thursday ahead of a meeting with No. 19 Switzerland on June 24.

Cyle Larin’s 78th-minute goal in a 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina electrified Toronto Stadium on Friday but more scoring punch will be needed if Canada is going to make a move in Group B.

“Getting that first game out of the way, it’s a point, something no one else has ever done before,” said Canadian midfielder Liam Millar. “We’ll take that on board. We’ll take the positives from it and try to do better next game.”

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Bosnia hushed the partisan crowd in the 21st minute when Jovo Lukic opened the scoring by flicking a header past goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau off a corner kick.

The 64th-ranked visitors were taller, feisty and not intimidated by the big stage. Canada seemed to fight some early nerves in the first half as the 43,002 spectators hung on every play.

The tournament co-hosts had some great chances but the ball movement was disjointed at times. An offence that has struggled to find its form could not take advantage of its opportunities.

It’s a storyline that will only be vanquished once Canada starts putting balls in the net. Qatar struggled mightily as the host side in 2022 but rebounded a year later by winning the Asian Cup.

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The Canadians, now with one draw and six losses on their all-time World Cup record, will try to feed off a crowd of over 52,000 at B.C. Place.

Defender Alistair Johnston felt his side has done well handling the emotions that come with this tournament.

“We did a great job of keeping everything really normal, which I’m happy with,” he said. “That’s probably one of the most difficult parts about having a home World Cup. There’s so much going on — tickets, fans, everything. But I do think that we did a great job and we’re going to continue to build on (it).

“But that support, if we can keep having that, it’s going to be a pretty special group stage here. I do really fancy our chances to pick up the points required to get out of the group.”

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Team speed picked up significantly in the second half of the opener, helped in part by coach Jesse Marsch’s decision to make several substitutions. Larin came on just two minutes before his goal.

Star left back Alphonso Davies was missed as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. A return to play in Vancouver, a city he knows well from his time with Major League Soccer’s Whitecaps, would take the energy to an even higher level.

Marsch will have other big lineup decisions to make as well.

Jonathan David is the team’s all-time leading scorer but he came off in the 61st minute for substitute Promise David after a choppy first half.

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“We’ll need him in this tournament to be at his best and find a way to use this experience to be better for the next one,” Marsch said. “Because without him in top form, we’re not the same team that we have the potential to be.”

Tani Oluwaseyi joined David up top in the starting 11 before coming off for Larin in the 76th minute.

Canada was held without a goal over three losses in its World Cup debut in 1986. Davies scored the country’s first goal at this tournament four years ago in Qatar but the team again went 0-3.

A victory would be historic for the Canadian side and provide some valuable momentum for the group-stage finale.

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If Canada finishes first in its pool, it would remain in Vancouver for a Round-of-32 matchup on July 2.

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KO artist who fought Canelo sets his sights on Chris Eubank Jr

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Chris Eubank Jr has not fought since his underwhelming rematch with Conor Benn, but the 36-year-old is now being targeted by a fierce knockout artist, who is willing to travel to London for the opportunity to face him.

Eubank scored an iconic win over Benn last April but when they rematched seven months later, he felt the full effects of a brutal weight cut, narrowly avoiding a stoppage defeat as he survived until the final bell on unsteady legs only to lose a wide unanimous decision.

Since then, the Hove-born contender has been advised to move up in weight and return to the super-middleweight scene, but he has also been linked to a catchweight clash with Michael Zerafa in Australia – a bout which would take place at 164lbs.

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New York’s Edgar Berlanga has now thrown his hat into the ring though, after revealing on ‘The Last Stand’ podcast about his intentions to face Eubank before the end of the year.

“I would love to step into the ring to end the year with Chris Eubank Jr. I feel like that fight is going to be a big fight in London.

“I told Keith [Connolly], I said that I would rather not do it out here in America. I would rather go to London, where he is from [U.K.], you know what I am saying? We can make a big, big fight happen. He is on the radar.”

Berlanga’s most high profile fight came back in 2024 when he challenged Canelo Alvarez for his unified super-middleweight crown, suffering a unanimous decision defeat, one of two losses in his career after also coming up short against Hamzah Sheeraz.

He has since signed with Zuffa Boxing and in his debut with the company on Sunday he knocked Steven Butler out after seven rounds, recovering from a second-round knockdown to earn the 19th stoppage victory of his career.

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In an interview with The Ring, Berlanga has now doubled down on his call-out of Eubank, hoping he can convince the Briton to swerve the Zerafa fight in favour of a clash on home soil.

“I’m looking forward to getting a real big fight with Chris Eubank. Let’s do it in London. It’s going to be big.”

Eubank maintains that he is currently a free agent, but it is unclear whether he is still contracted to Boxxer, with promoter Ben Shalom appearing to believe that their deal has not expired.

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Danhausen Names His Price For Major “Uncurse”

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Danhausen has named his price for yet another major uncursing. He has shockingly asked for ten million dollars and that is something that he has never done before.

The Very Nice Very Evil star has been on the lips of all sports fans ever since he helped the New York Knicks win the NBA title in June. The Knicks had not won the NBA championship in 53 years and only did so after he lifted their curse.

He has since become a household name and has also appeared on a lot of sports channels where they spoke about his powers. Danhausen will be taking on Dominik Mysterio at SummerSlam which will be held in Minnesota.

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He was posing for pictures with the fans when a fan asked him what would it take for him to uncurse the Minnesota Vikings, who have never won the NFL Championship. He jokingly said that it would take ten million dollars for him to uncurse the Vikings.

Danhausen makes bizarre request to the New York Knicks

The name Danhausen has been etched in the history of the New York Knicks. Ever since they won the NBA title, thanks to their curse being lifted, he has been praised by many of the Knicks players themselves.

After they won the title, the former AEW star made a bizarre request to the New York Knicks. He asked for a one day contract with the franchise so he can play and retire as a world champion. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, after the historic championship win, the former AEW star wrote:

“Danhausen is requesting a one day contract with The KNICKSHAUSEN so he may retire from basketball’s as a champion of the world”

It is the off season right now and there is not a lot of movement. However, given the kind of coverage and sensation the team has received from the WWE star, it should come as no surprise if they decide to adhere to the request and give him a one day contract.

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