Day 2 at a Glance
Canada entered the match as one of the tournament co-hosts and has pushed for goals throughout, but Bosnia has capitalized on its opportunities while the home side has failed to convert.
- Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto: Bosnia leads 1-0 with the second half in progress.
- United States vs. Paraguay: Opening match scheduled for 9 p.m. ET tonight.
Opening Ceremonies
Canada's ceremony in Toronto featured performances from Alanis Morissette, Michael Bublé, and Alessia Cara. The United States celebration is set to begin later tonight in Los Angeles with headliners Future, Katy Perry, and Anitta.
Yesterday's Results
Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in a match that featured a record three red cards. In the second game of the day, South Korea downed Czech Republic 2-1. That match included a sensational chipped goal from Korean midfielder Hwang In-beom.
Halftime: Bosnia 1-0 Canada
Referee Facundo Tello blew his whistle to end the first half with Bosnia and Herzegovina holding a deserved 1-0 lead. Bosnia looked strong from the opening whistle and earned its goal in the 21st minute.
The score remained 1-0 through the first half and into the early stages of the second, though not without chances for Canada. Heading into the break, Les Rouges were hoping someone would join Alphonso Davies on the scoresheet.
Alphonso Davies Sidelined
Canada has been missing star left-back Alphonso Davies' offensive output. Davies is watching from the sidelines due to a hamstring injury.
Davies is the only player in the history of the Canadian national team to score at the World Cup. At Qatar in 2022, he cemented himself in Canadian soccer history by scoring the team's first-ever World Cup goal against Croatia. The only other goal for Canada at that tournament was an own-goal.
Given Canada's missed opportunities to get on the scoreboard, Davies could have provided an extra offensive punch on the pitch.
Canada's Best Chances
Richie Laryea was sent through on goal after a beautiful passage of play from Canada. The striker did everything perfectly, but Sead Kolašinac somehow diverted the shot onto the crossbar in an amazing clearance that denied Canada a certain goal.
How did this not go in for Canada?! 🤯
Seconds later, Bosnia missed a huge chance to extend its lead to 2-0.
Collision in the Box, No Penalty
A painful collision occurred between Canada's Tani Oluwaseyi and Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj. Oluwaseyi ran through on goal and was clattered by the onrushing goalie, with both players falling to the floor.
It looked as though Canada might have deserved a penalty, but replays showed that Vasilj got a hand to the ball just before making contact with the man.
Set Pieces Making the Difference
Set pieces have become more important than ever in recent seasons. Teams like Arsenal have a Premier League title and reached a Champions League final off the back of dead-ball situations, and they are proving important in this summer's tournament already.
In the South Korea vs. Czech Republic match, Repre defender Vladimír Coufal launched the ball into the box from a throw-in where Ladislav Krejčí met it with a thunderous header to put the Czechs ahead.
Today in Toronto, Bosnia has had one corner and scored from it. Canada, on the other hand has had nine corners and has not looked close to scoring from any of them. The co-host has looked second-best to Bosnia in both boxes when it comes to crosses, and it has made all the difference so far.
Second Half Underway
Play resumed in Toronto with Canada facing 45 minutes to launch a comeback. Les Rouges will need to find their shooting boots from somewhere. Bosnia, meanwhile, can keep doing what it has been doing and try to catch the co-host on the break.
Canada continues to push for an equalizer but has not been able to capitalize on its goalscoring opportunities as Day 2 action rolls on.
