Can Jonathan David and Promise David deliver goals while Maxime Crépeau stands tall? Five keys for Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina

Thirteen players on Canada's roster have been to the World Cup before. For 13 others, stepping into a game of this magnitude, especially in front of the home crowd and a smaller but still sizable and hostile group of Bosnia and Herzegovina fans, will be a challenge.

How does a player like 20-year-old center back Luc de Fougerolles, whose FCV Dender battled relegation this season and played in front of an average of 3,400 fans per game, manage the moment?

How about Jayden Nelson, named to the squad and bringing his hair to the World Cup stage, a piece of him that reminds him of the cancer battle he went through as a kid? And how about Crépeau, who is at the World Cup after missing out on Qatar four years ago because of a broken leg suffered just before the tournament?

The Canadian group, confident in its composition and drawing on experiences from around the world, has never seen a stage like this. For most, the idea of even dreaming about it seemed impossible for years. Now that it's here, staying calm amid familiar surroundings will be vital, particularly given the likelihood of a torrential downpour, which could make things even more challenging.

"I'm going to do the same things I do for every other game, keep the same routine," de Fougerolles said. "The stadium is familiar. Obviously it's going to feel extra special when the anthem goes and we step on the pitch, but I think in the lead-up, I'm just going to keep doing the same things. ... I kind of take confidence from preparing well."

One aspect of Canada's readiness to compete is its tendency to commit fouls. In four of the last 10 games, the team has picked up a red card, showing it can be too intense at times and occasionally crosses the line.

A red card, or even an early yellow card, could completely alter a match and the entire tournament.

"We're physical, we play hard, but we're not a dirty team," Marsch said in March after Tajon Buchanan picked up a red card against Iceland. "I'm not worried about developing a reputation, but certainly cards like that can change momentum in tournaments."

Injuries aren't an excuse, but Canada sure wishes they had Moïse Bombito at full health coming into the home World Cup. One of the fastest center backs in the world and a cornerstone of the 2024 Copa América run, the team loses a massive part of its defense without him in the lineup.

Yet, fortunately for Canada, de Fougerolles has stepped up. In just 13 caps, the Fulham academy product has impressed with his composure under pressure and his ability to take on pressing attackers, opening up half-spaces between opposition forwards and midfielders. He offers something different from Bombito, but he is a mature player beyond his years. The partnership with Derek Cornelius, though, is still relatively new. Cornelius was frozen out of Rangers' Scottish Premiership campaign after the new year.

"His mentality," Cornelius said of what stands out about the soon-to-be World Cup debutant. "For a game like this, it's going to be a mental battle, especially on the physical side, and everyone knows that Luc is going to be up for that."

One of the keys for the duo will be dealing with Bosnia and Herzegovina's physical attack. The European side is the tallest team in the tournament, with an average height of 6-foot-1, and features Edin Džeko, who is still performing at a high level at 40 years old.

Dealing with that size, especially for 5-foot-11 de Fougerolles, won't be simple, and ensuring they limit fast breaks when pressing high will also be a challenge. Both are Canada's best options and will likely help define the outcome of the Group B opener.

Since Marsch took over in 2024, Canada has struggled to score. Despite a high-pressure system and the presence of Juventus striker Jonathan David, the team is anything but an attacking juggernaut.

Looking at Canada's last 10 games, they've scored 11 goals. The average isn't great, but it is also clear that the team isn't producing many more quality chances, with an expected goals (xG) total of 11.07 during that span. It means Canada is converting chances almost exactly as statistics would predict.

How will that change? It's either a matter of luck, as both David and Southampton's Cyle Larin have had standout moments with their clubs but have endured dry spells with the national team, or it could require a personnel or tactical adjustment.

Expect Larin and David to start, but Marsch may keep the duo on a short leash if it's not working, as it often hasn't. David, however, could drop deeper into an attacking midfield role, with Larin operating as a traditional No. 9. Later in the game, the goal-hungry and imposing Promise David should also make an impact as he continues to work his way back to full fitness.

The most significant change recently has been Canada controlling possession more often while struggling to break down low defensive blocks and counterpress as effectively.

Other adjustments could include adding Villarreal's Tani Oluwaseyi to the lineup in place of Larin. He struggles with finishing but helps expose space. Finally, Marsch could alter the shape midway through the match, bringing on an additional attacking midfielder such as Nathan Saliba while pushing David farther forward.

Will any of it work? It's a question that remains unanswered. Yet Canada's best open-play attacking performance in recent months came in a 3-0 win over Romania in September, a day when Davies and Bombito were both absent and Oluwaseyi partnered with David.

With the injury to Davies and the limited health of Ali Ahmed and Jacob Shaffelburg on the left wing, along with the reintegration of Alistair Johnston on the right, Canada's creative contributions from the fullback positions were lacking in the friendlies.

At their best, Canada is an elite team at creating overloads, with wingers and fullbacks regularly overlapping in attack and strikers positioned either as secondary options or to receive crosses.

The friendlies saw Canada struggle with those movements. In particular, the combination of Premier League-bound Liam Millar and Toronto FC's Richie Laryea struggled to connect and will be vital if Canada wants to create crossing opportunities.

Millar's style tends to occupy a lot of space, and his skillful dribbling is not always predictable enough for Laryea to use as an attacking trigger. Instead, it can leave Millar isolated and forced into low-percentage scoring opportunities.

Both Ahmed and Shaffelburg trained fully in the days leading up to the match and should be available for selection. Faster players can stretch defensive lines and often fit better with Laryea's attacking approach.

If Canada can get more crosses into the box, that's a good thing. Much of it will come down to creating overloads in wide areas.

With Bosnia and Herzegovina’s towering stature, Canada will have its hands full defending set pieces.

The core of Bosnia’s attack often comes from set-plays and aerial balls into the box. It’s a tactic that could be challenging for a center back pairing on the smaller side, and Crepeau, who stands at 5’11”, is short for a goalkeeper. 

According to Opta, Bosnia created shots on over 36 percent of their corners and 28 percent of free kicks in the past year, showing their effectiveness from dead balls. That will be remarkably important on Friday, when torrential downpours could make a task more challenging for defenders and goalkeepers as well. 

“Set pieces are definitely a threat we need to be aware of,” Cornelius said. “We need to try and minimize the opportunities that they get to put the ball into the box, but then on the day, just be ready for the fight.”

If Canada can avoid giving many corners or free kicks and maintain defensive structure, things should go fairly smoothly. Any mistake, though, and Bosnia has enough attacking bite to capitalize.