There was a sense of occasion around BMO Field on Friday night, the kind of electric hum that only a World Cup on home soil can generate. Canada, roar...
There was a sense of occasion around BMO Field on Friday night, the kind of electric hum that only a World Cup on home soil can generate. Canada, roared on by a partisan crowd desperate for a winning start to their Group B campaign, walked off the pitch with a point but the unmistakable feeling of a golden chance having slipped through their fingers. A 1. 1 draw with Bosnia Herzegovina was the result, but the real story was the litany of clear cut chances that went begging for the co hosts.From the opening exchanges, Canada's intent was clear. They pressed high, forced errors in the Bosnian defensive third, and carved open their opponents with a directness that had the travelling support pinned back in their seats. The goal, when it came, felt deserved. A sharp move down the right flank ended with a low cross turned home with a clinical first time finish that sent the stadium into raptures. For a brief moment, it looked like the script was being written perfectly. But football, as any seasoned observer will tell you, has little time for scripts.The problem for Canada was not a lack of creativity, nor a failure to reach dangerous areas. It was the final act. Time and again, the frontline found themselves through on goal, only to hesitate or snatch at the finish. The keeper was beaten, the goals were gaping, but the ball simply refused to nestle in the net. You could almost feel the collective sigh from the terraces turning into a groan, then a whisper of anxiety. And against the run of play, Bosnia showed them how it is done. A moment of transitional brilliance, a breakaway that cut through the Canadian midfield like a knife through butter, and suddenly it was 1. 1.Canada's head coach will be tearing his hair out. Not because his side played poorly, but because they played well enough to win twice over. The defensive shape, while caught out once, was largely resolute. The midfield engine room dominated possession and dictated the rhythm. Yet in the final third, that cold, hard currency of international football, there was a profligacy that borders on criminal at this level. You cannot afford to be generous in a World Cup group stage. Bosnia, gritty and organised, sat in a low block after the equaliser and dared Canada to break them down. For all their pressure, the hosts lacked the craft to unpick the lock cleanly. They ended up lumping balls into the mixer, which suited the Bosnian centre halves just fine.So where does this leave Group B For Canada, it is two points dropped, not one gained. The pressure now shifts to the next fixture, where they simply cannot afford to leave such glaring openings unattended. The talent is there, the system is sound, but the composure must follow. As for Bosnia, a point on the road against a co host is a result that will lighten the mood in their camp. They will take that all day long. But for the Canadian faithful, the nagging question will linger into the small hours. What if they had just been a little more clinical That, as they say, is the beauty and the brutality of this sport.There is still a long way to go in this tournament, and this Canadian side will create plenty more chances. But they must learn quickly that at a World Cup, you do not get a second invitation to finish your dinner. The table is set. It is time to eat.
