Promise David stakes starting claim as defensive lapses prove costly, Alphonso Davies concern grows and home World Cup run ends - Winners and losers from Canada vs Switzerland

Cyle Larin and Joanthan David impressed so much against Qatar that the thought of taking them out of the starting lineup would have been unthinkable - but Canada’s most clinical striker is Promise David, and he proved that after entering the match in the 74th minute for Tajon  Buchanan. 

The Royale Union Saint-Gilloise forward, who suffered a severe hip injury and surgery in February, rushed back to recover in time for the World Cup, scored on his first touch of the game before the stadium’s public address announcer had even announced his substitution. 

His presence and towering six-foot-five frame give Canada a completely different element in attack, and his fitness has continued to progress through the group stage. If he’s fully fit for 90 minutes, his goal and immediate impact could earn him a starting spot, likely alongside Jonathan David, in the knockout round. 

“I think with the knockout, things become a little bit more tender and important,” David said. “It’s not like we can rely on the next game. You’ve got 90 minutes to gas it out and secure a win. Obviously, we’d like to stay in Vancouver and do that. We came second. Oh well.”

The scenes coming out of Vancouver over the past two games have been some of the best in the entire tournament, with thousands of fans packing the streets around BC Place in an iconic march to the match. In the stadium, the sounds were deafening whenever Canada had a standout moment. 

It felt as though there was a real fortress-like quality to BC Place, and the double-tiered bowl surrounded the pitch in a sheet of sound, especially with the retractable roof closed. Unfortunately for Canada, those scenes are done. 

Yes, there will be good crowds in the bars and watch parties for when they head to Los Angeles to take on South Africa, but the momentum that the team was building in local communities - and the possibility of a significant World Cup run on home soil are now gone. 

For Vancouver, there are worries too. The Vancouver Whitecaps are still looking for a long-term solution in the city to avoid relocation, and the likelihood of a World Cup, Copa America, or even Gold Cup in the city seems far-fetched. For as passionate as Vancouver has shown for the World Cup this summer, the fans will now have to settle for Switzerland in the Round of 32 -  and potentially Round of 16.

"Of course, we'd love to top the group, but we're into the knockout stage," said Alistair Johnston. "This is the bare minimum of what we want, and that goes to show where we're at as a program. With knockouts, anything can happen.

"Hopefully, as much of that crowd as possible will travel down with us and [we'll] be able to play off their energy and see what we can do. We're in a great place."

Injuries remain a chief concern for Canada, but Les Rouges won’t have to worry about missing any players in the round of 32 due to yellow card accumulation or red card suspensions. 

Entering Wednesday’s match, three of the starting back four had all picked up a previous yellow card either against Qatar or Bosnia and Herzegovina, meaning if they had picked up an additional booking, they’d have been suspended for the next game, 

Canada didn’t let that impact their tackling, and the errors that led to Switzerland’s goals were largely due to positioning. Now, Marsch’s men will have a clean slate as they take on the country’s first knockout stage journey. 

Derek Cornelius wasn’t at sole fault for either goal, but his positioning didn’t help. On the first goal, he overcommitted to his player, leaving Alistair Johnston to cover the central attacker at the near post. With Vargas wide open on the right, it was a simple finish where Crépeau had little chance to set up, nor save it. 

Moments later, a communication error from Cornelius and Luc De Fougerolles allowed Johan Manzambi to break through alongside Breel Embolo, before firing a shot too fast for Crépeau to handle. After an impressive first half, it wasn’t the start to the second half that Canada had imagined, and Switzerland took the chances afforded to them. 

Switzerland’s star youngster, Johan Manzambi, delivered to his potential in the must-win game, rising to the moment in his first World Cup start and continuing stellar form after scoring a 19-minute brace in the win over  Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Usually a defensive midfielder, he was tasked with a more attacking outlook and picked up a goal and an assist, while creating two chances and tormenting the Canadian midfield. Given the opportunity afforded to him and how he delivered, there should be an expectation that he starts the next match when Switzerland returns to BC Place for the Round of 32. 

There is still a chance for Canada to do some damage at this World Cup, and they’ll play a knockout game for the first time, albeit not at home. Yet,  captain and Bayern Munich superstar Alphonso Davies might not play a role at all. Twenty-four hours after Marsch said the 25-year-old would likely play, he didn’t even warm up as Canada prepared their bench in the second half. 

If Canada had gotten the point, they’d have enjoyed seven days off and a chance to rest and recover, as well as further opportunity for Davies to get fully up to speed. Instead, it’s three days' rest before Sunday’s round of 32 game, where they will have to deal with Eustaquio’s muscle tightness, which held him out of Wednesday’s starting lineup, as well as less rest for the entire team. 

“To be honest, Alphonso wasn't ready yet, so I was using him a little bit as a decoy. However, he will be ready for the next match,” Marsch said. "I listened to (Switzerland’s) news conference [and they] had three questions about Alphonso Davies, so they at least had to prepare for that.”