Canada 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina: World Cup hosts saved by Cyle Larin’s late equalizer

Maybe it was the celebrity juice from showing Mike Myers and Ryan Reynolds on the scoreboards but Canada strike back.

Promise David has been influential since taking over for his brother, and now he’s set up a goal for another sub in Cyle Larin!

1-1!

Triple sub for Canada, as Millar, Tajon Buchanan, and Jonathan David are replaced by Promise David, Ali Ahmed, and Jacob Shaffelburg.

Bosnia and Herzegovina make two moves, as Young Boys midfielder Armin Gigovic and Jagiellonia Bialystok striker Samed Bazdar come into the match for Ivan Basic and the goal scorer Lukic.

Canada trail 1-0 into the 64th minute.

Bosnia win a corner and Tarik Muharemovic nods just over the bar.

He deserves a goal as both he and Kolasinac on the left side have been special.

Canada have found chances, mostly through the right, but the zero on the scoreboard has been a lot of commitment from the Bosnian back four.

How is this still 1-0 to Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Or 1-0 at all?

Moments after Canada get a prime chance but from Stephen Eustaquio’s set up of Laryea on to see the latter’s shot cleared off the line and the cross bar by Kolasinac.

Bosnia go the other way and Maxime Crepeau does well to limit the damage to a corner from a 1v1 duel against striding Demirovic.

Canada have had more of the ball and more danger to be sure but they’ve not done nearly enough with those moments for magic.

The xG tally is 0.77-0.69 for the visitors, but Canada have had 17 touches in the Bosnia box compared to seven the other way.

Bosnia and Herzegovina are completing just over two-thirds of their passes and finish the half well under 100.

The Canadians have won a series of corners and don’t give up the ball for long.

Bosnia’s default formation now seems to be more of a 5-3-2 as Canada presses for an equalizer.

Canada really should have a goal by now, the latest chance coming as Jonathan David is unable to turn a half-chance into a shot.

This one’s not point blank and it isn’t luck, as Oluwaseyi puts himself in a great spot to finish... but hits his left-footed shot over the bar.

Still 1-0 BNH in the 33rd minute.

It’s a goal born straight out of desire to win a second ball.

Bosnia’s corner kick is won at the front post, flicked backward by Sead Kolasinac.

Richie Laryea can’t stop Jovo Lukic from burying a header past Maxime Crepeau.

Laryea had conceded the corner with a second hard foul of the match, one that looked likely to draw a yellow. He got off the hook, but couldn’t keep Jovic from opening the scoring, and Maxime Crepeau is speaking with him during the hydration break.

The hosts find their footing and have Bosnia scrambling in the 18.

A loose ball falls to Villarreal striker Tani Oluwaseyi but he hits a grounder into the arms of stooping St. Pauli keeper Nikola Vasilj.

A few bright moments at the start for the hosts in a pretty ruby red stadium apart from the section behind Bosnia and Herzegovina’s goal.

But this has largely been a match for the visitors, who have shown more savvy with the ball and on the charge.

Alistair Johnston of Celtic takes a yellow card for a foul on the flank. Canada counters off that but Bosnia soon retakes possession.

0-0, 15'

Starting XI: Vasilj, Kolasinac, Muharemovic, Katic, Dedic, Memic, Tahirovic, Basic, Bajraktarevic, Lukic, Demirovic

Subs: Zlomislic, Jurkas, Malic, Hadzikadunic, Mujakic, Radeljic, Hadziahmetovic, Gigovic, Burnic, Mahmic, Sunjic, Dzeko, Tabakovic, Alajbegovic, Bazdar

Alphonso Davies misses out on the XI, as expected, and will hope to make his tournament debut off the bench though surely Marsch would like the game to allow him to rest further in the hopes of a start against Qatar in the second match.

Starting XI: Laryea, Cornelius, De Fougerolles, Johnston, Millar, Eustaquio, Kone, Buchanan, Oluwaseyi, J. David

Subs: St. Clair, Goodman, Jones, Davies, Waterman, Bombito, Sigur, Osorio, Choiniere, Saliba, Ahmed, Larin, Shaffelburg, Nelson, P. David

Canada’s players have come off the team bus and are walking onto the pitch in all black suits, about 20 minutes after the Bosnian team took the pitch in their team gear.

The country, it seems, is very ready to serve as the big stage.

Canada is rolling out the red carpet — well, to be honest almost everything is red here outside of the smattering of blue and yellow Bosnia and Herzegovina jerseys.

Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, William Prince, Sanjoy, Nora Fatehi, Elyanna, and Vegedream will also perform.

Bosnia and Herzegovina captain Edin Dzeko has done plenty in his career, his latest feat coming this season when he helped Schalke to a Bundesliga return.

But the 40-year-old is brimming with pride to lead BNH into this World Cup, and he penned an emotional letter to the youth of his country on The Players Tribune this week.

“It’s worth it. All of it. With no bad moments, the good ones never arrive.”

Dzeko is Zmajevi’s cap leader (148) and goal leader (73) by a massive distance. A national legend will look to add to his resume once more today.

Jesse Marsch, 52, has been with Canada since 2014 and his brash personality has energized a team seeking to out-perform its historical record.

Make no mistake — Canada are seeking much more than a good showing, especially with eight third-place teams reaching the knockout rounds.

Marsch’s Canada are 14W-13D-5L in his tenure, twice beating the United States and also knocking off Ukraine and Uzbekistan. A win over BNH, however, would be massive given the stage (and the absence, for now, of Alphonso Davies).

Kick off time: 3pm ET Friday (June 12)
Venue: Toronto Stadium — Toronto, Ontario
TV Channel: Telemundo/Universo
Streaming: Stream live on Peacock, en Espanol