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

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

“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.

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