Switzerland beat Canada 2-1 on Wednesday afternoon, securing first place in Group B. Canada will also move on to the knockout round for the first time in World Cup history, finishing second in the group.
Switzerland started the first half strong, earning a pair of chances within the box, but Maxime Crépeau stood tall — stopping both.
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Canada regained a bit of momentum after the first hydration break, but Switzerland’s defense proved too strong.
Just 45 seconds into the second half, Switzerland broke the scoreless tie thanks to a strike by Rubén Vargas. The Canadian defense got scrambled early off a nice cross, leaving Vargas alone in the box.
Switzerland’s speed continued to overwhelm the Canadian backline, as Johan Manzambi gave Switzerland a 2-1 lead. Switzerland sent a long ball that Canada couldn’t handle, giving the Swiss a man advantage before they found Manzambi.
After the hydration break in the second half, Jesse Marsch sent in Promise David — who wasted no time making an impact. Nathan Saliba chipped a pass over the Swiss defender, and David dove out to put it past Gregor Kobel, to make it a one-goal game for Canada.
Canada pushed until the end, but couldn’t find the second strike to tie the game. Canada controlled most of the chances thanks to the strong second half, finishing with 1.34 expected goals to Switzerland’s 1.1.
Switzerland will move on to face one of the best third-place teams from Groups E, F, G, I, or J.
Canada will head to Los Angeles for the knockout round, where they are likely to face South Korea.
