Canada Lose Home Ground as Switzerland Take Group B

Canada's World Cup dream took a bruising turn, according to The Guardian, as Switzerland beat them 2-1 in Vancouver to claim top spot in Group B and deny Canada a home knockout game.

The defeat was made harder to stomach by the absence of midfield dynamo Ismaël Koné, who had his leg broken six days earlier. The Guardian notes he was wheeled in on crutches to watch from the sideline, greeted by a huge ovation from the crowd, a poignant sight in front of his own fans.

Coach Jesse Marsch was already dealing with vice-captain Stephen Eustáquio not being fit enough to start, and faced a daunting task against Granit Xhaka and an experienced Swiss midfield. Canada were left relying on Nathan Saliba and Mathieu Choinière as replacements.

Jonathan David did offer a moment of local joy, fulfilling a promise he had made to local media by scoring a World Cup goal in Vancouver within a minute of coming on, but it was not enough to stop a well-organised Switzerland side.