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Or sign-in if you have an account.Cyle Larin celebrates with Promise David after scoring the team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium on June 12, 2026. Photo by Michael Steele/Getty ImagesTORONTO — How close was Canada to a full-blown World Cup crisis?Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorAbout 10 minutes, plus stoppage time.Knocked back by a goal from Bosnia-Herzegovina midway through the first half of the first men’s World Cup game ever to be played on Canadian soil, and missing their superstar captain Alphonso Davies through injury, the home side treated a pulsating Toronto Stadium to a master-class in Not Quite and Just About for most of the match.Shots ballooned into the crowd, or scuffed into the goalie’s arms, or blocked away from danger by a procession of sturdy, tattooed Bosnians.It was starting to look like the absence of Davies, who is in the sport’s terms Canada’s talisman, would prove crucial.With apologies to Princess Leia: “Help us, Alphonso Davies, you’re our only hope.”And then, mercifully for most of the 44,000 spectators, the dam broke.Cyle Larin, thrown on as a late substitute by manager Jesse Marsch, did what his teammates could not, turning in front of goal when the ball came to him and slicing a right-footed shot in the corner of the net.The stadium by Toronto’s waterfront, expanded and gussied up for this tournament with truly silly amounts of public money — and temporarily no longer named for a bank — exploded in joy, and it must be said, relief. Ryan Reynolds, Mike Myers, Will Arnett and all the Canadian royalty in attendance exchanged hugs and high-fives with those around them.The disaster of a seventh World Cup loss in seven attempts for the men’s national team was no longer looming quite so large.Instead, it became a first-ever World Cup point. A 1-1 draw against a Bosnian side that knocked out no less a giant than Italy to book its spot here is a decent result, and gives the Canadians a real shot of advancing to the knockout rounds if they can take care of business against Qatar in Vancouver next week. Canadian fans cheer in the stands during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Toronto. Photo by Michael Steele /Getty ImagesPerhaps more importantly, it buys time for Davies’ bum leg to heal, in hopes that his elite skill could give them the finishing touch that they lacked for much of Friday evening.After eight years of anticipation to finally host a World Cup game, Canada’s hopes took a blow early last month when Davies injured his hamstring in a late-season game with Bayern Munich, his professional club.It continued a run of lousy injury luck for the 25-year-old, after the captain tore an ACL in March, 2025, while playing for Canada. That incident led to a brief controversy in which officials from the German giants implied that Canada Soccer had allowed Davies to play when he wasn’t completely fit, but all sides have suggested a degree of cooperation this time around.Davies’ importance to the Canadian squad is hard to overstate. As much as the team has taken large strides forward in recent years, and has several men who play professionally in some of the top European leagues, Davies is the headline star. His spectacular solo goal against Panama in Toronto five years ago was one of the signature moments of the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign that put the Canadian men on the soccer map, and his soaring header against Croatia in Qatar was Canada’s first-ever World Cup goal.When healthy, he’s simply one of the best fullbacks in the world, a claim that Canada cannot truly make anywhere else on the pitch. Kerim Alajbegovic #19 of Bosnia-Herzegovina controls the ball under pressure from Alistair Johnston #2 and Jonathan Osorio #21 of Canada during their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match at Toronto Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Toronto. Photo by Michael Steele /Getty ImagesAnd indeed, as the first half unfolded on Friday afternoon, the difference between very good and world-class was on full display. Canada largely dominated the ball and had the bulk of the significant scoring chances, but they could not put the ball in the Bosnian net.Striker Jonathan David found himself all alone in front of the goal in the 17th minute, but swept the ball straight at Bonsian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilij. About 10 minutes later, forward Tani Olawuseyi found himself even more alone in front of goal but promptly skied his attempt well over the crossbar.It was grim shades of Canada’s opener in Qatar four years ago, when they created a bucketload of chances against Belgium but couldn’t finish them off.Not helping matters was the fact that Bosnia had scored on their only real chance of the half, with Jovo Lukic glancing a header home off a corner kick in the 21st minute.This was basically the nightmare scenario for Canada. They have had four years to talk about the lessons learned in Qatar, about the fine margins that decide matches on this stage and the importance of capitalizing on rare opportunities, and yet here they were, on home soil, in the biggest game of most of their lives, and they were still scuffling the crucial kicks. Canada’s forward #12 Tani Oluwaseyi runs after the ball during the 2026 World Cup Group B football match between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Toronto Stadium in Toronto on June 12, 2026. Photo by COLE BURSTON /AFP via Getty ImagesThe half ended with Derek Cornelius sending a header over the Bosnian crossbar off what felt like the 75th Canadian corner routine of the period. (It was the ninth.) The visitors, by that point, had just had the one corner kick. And they scored off it.Fine margins, you say?The second half brought more of the same, no chance more painful than a Richie Laryea shot that was blocked off the line, and the crossbar, but yet another Bosnian intervention.It had been shaping up as the kind of moment that would be emblematic of a heartbreaking loss.And then, thanks to Larin, it wasn’t.The World Cup is in Canada. And Canada is on the board.On to Vancouver.Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.