Canada opens its historic home World Cup campaign against Bosnia-Herzegovina, while the U.S. faces Paraguay in two pivotal Group Stage matchups
The expectations of an entire nation rest on the shoulders of Canada’s men’s national soccer team as they open their World Cup campaign this afternoon at Toronto Stadium against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the first men’s World Cup match ever hosted on Canadian soil.
First, the lineup update for today, and there’s good and bad. The good – defender Moise Bombito, making his way back from a broken leg, is on the 26-man squad for today. Head coach Jesse Marsch told reporters while Bombito isn’t 100%, but at 90-95% “that’s still a pretty damn good player,” so they’ll slot him in for today and make him available. A week from now Marsch said there’s no reason that Bombito, looking at how his health is progressing, shouldn’t be considered a starter.
The other good news – Ismael Kone, a regular in Canada’s midfield, who missed training Wednesday with a fever, is available. Kone has made 40 appearances for Canada, including playing in all three of Canada’s games at the 2022 World Cup.
Now the bad news – Alphonso Davies, the Canadian captain, and the team’s best player, will not be in the lineup, still working his way back from a hamstring injury. Marsch said that Davies is progressing well, though, according to what an MRI this week showed.
Marsch didn’t rule out Davies from making his way back to the lineup for the World Cup as he works on his recovery, with Marsch lauding Davies’ fitness level and commitment, and ability to recover quickly from muscle issues.
So not a full-strength squad for today, but better than had been feared. For the Bosnians today, veteran striker Edin Džeko will be available to play. He hasn’t played since May 15. However, big striker Haris Tabakovic isn’t available, with an ankle injury, continuing to train separately, which is welcome news for Canadian defenders.
According to FIFA rankings, Canada is No. 30, with Bosnia and Herzegovina at No. 64.
In World Cup betting, at Betway, Canada is the favorite, at -125, with Bosnia and Herzegovina at +350, and odds for a draw at +250. The match begins at 3 p.m. EST. Canada is in Group B, along with Switzerland, Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
From a betting perspective, it’s shaping up as a tight low-scoring match. Canada is a strong defensive squad, while Bosnia and Herzegovina plays disciplined and physical.
The draw for this one is attracting attention, so are the Unders, which is where I am leaning. Betway has the Under 1.5 at +180, and the Under 2.5 at -163.
There are also big expectations around Canada’s two top scorers – Jonathan David (39 goals for the men’s national team in his career) and Cyle Larin (30 goals). David at +180 at Betway to score for Canada, Larin +200. Džeko is +280 to score for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mexico kicked off their World Cup with a 2-0 win over South Africa yesterday, a match that featured more red cards (three) than goals.
The other host country, the United States, gets going tonight at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, against Paraguay, at 9 p.m. EST, with a focus for the tournament squarely on star players Christian Pulisic (attacking midfielder with 80+ caps and 30+ goals), Weston McKennie (midfielder), and Tyler Adams (defensive midfielder).
The Americans are ranked No. 17 (Paraguay is No. 40) in the world and come into the tournament with huge expectations attached to them.
At Betway this morning the U.S. is +105 to win, Paraguay +260, and the odds for a draw +220. That line is tighter – yes, the Americans have home-field advantage and depth, but Paraguay has a defensive structure and counterattack that makes this a more dangerous match-up for the U.S. than people realize. They have a realistic shot at pulling off an upset today. That draw is priced relatively short as well – with the expectation of a competitive, low-margin match.
