Canada heads into its World Cup match against Qatar with Alphonso Davies still working his way back from a hamstring injury, while Jonathan David’s struggles after a difficult outing against Bosnia have become the immediate concern for head coach Jesse Marsch.
VANCOUVER — Canada began this World Cup without its two most pivotal stars. Alphonso Davies is injured, and Jonathan David went missing in the most telling moment of Friday’s 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto.
The shift from Toronto to Vancouver only sharpened the focus ahead of Thursday’s critical game against Qatar. On Tuesday, with the team at the University of British Columbia for practice, questions kept circling back to Davies. But the more urgent storyline for Canada starts with David.
Marsch is expected to decide how much patience to show after David was substituted 61 minutes into Friday’s match. The frustration wasn’t subtle. In the 17th minute, the 26-year-old meekly side-footed a 14-yard attempt straight at Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj. Head coach Jesse Marsch visibly reacted from the touchline. his exasperation captured not just in his body language but in the involuntary dance he made during the moment.
Canada’s comeback in that same game came later, and it changed what the team believes it can be. The second-half insertion of Promise David and Cyle Larin. backed by attacking wingers Ali Ahmed and Jacob Shaffelburg. transformed the match. Larin scored the historic tying goal as Canada earned its first World Cup point after losing all three of its group-stage games in the 2022 and 1986 tournaments.
Promise replaced Jonathan in the swap of Davids. Larin then replaced Tani Oluwaseyi in the 76th minute. After Larin’s surprising absence from the starting lineup against Bosnia. it still feels difficult to imagine he won’t be in Canada’s 11-man setup against Qatar. The bigger question is whether Jonathan David gets the same kind of leash he’s been accustomed to across his international career.
Beyond a tough club season with mighty Juventus in Italy, David hasn’t exactly carried his World Cup form into his latest international stretch. He has scored only in one of Canada’s last 10 internationals — a pair of successful penalty kicks in a 2-2 friendly against Iceland in March.
The contrast with how teammates talk about him is striking. Marsch has not spoken to reporters since the World Cup team relocated to Vancouver from Toronto on Saturday. but select players did answer questions after practices on Tuesday. Right back Alistair Johnston, when asked about David, pointed away from the scoreboard.
“Jesse said that yesterday was probably his best training session he’s had with the national team in a while. and I’d agree. ” Johnston said. “I think with a guy like Jonny, people get too hung up on the goals and assists. For me, at the end of the day, he’s just a really, really talented footballer. And I know when he’s on his best, it’s not necessarily that he’s contributing to the goal list. The spaces that he picks up. how he sees the game. and how he feels the game is unique to anyone in our nation. to be honest.”.
Johnston added that he is not focused on whether David finds the net in Qatar — at least not the way the outside world might be. “So, look, I’m not too bothered about whether he’s scoring or not. Of course. I’d love him to be the top scorer of the World Cup; that means that we probably went pretty far. But for me. when you see him getting on the ball. getting turned. playing guys through. that’s when you know he’s at his best. And look. I have no doubt that he’s going to bounce back and have a really big tournament for us because he is. at the end of the day. one of our most talented players and one of our smartest players.”.
All of that matters, because Canada’s tournament needs more than individual talent. There has to be chemistry and attacking threat from whichever pair of strikers starts against Qatar — something the team lacked when David and Tani Oluwaseyi appeared together versus Bosnia.
Canada’s captain, Davies, remains another major piece of the same puzzle. The dynamic forward has been working his way back from a hamstring injury suffered with Bayern Munich nearly six weeks ago. A Canadian team spokesman offered no update Tuesday on Davies’ status. but the 25-year-old began training with the “first 15” for the second straight day.
The media is only allowed to watch the opening 15 minutes, which means it was possible to see players juggle balls and, on Tuesday, playfully slap Ismael Kone on the occasion of the central midfielder’s 24th birthday. It is impossible to know Davies’ full involvement.
Even so, the way Johnston, Stephen Eustaquio and fullback Richie Laryea spoke about Davies didn’t feel like a return was imminent. Eustaquio, speaking about the star’s situation, said: “We just want to give him the opportunity to play in this World Cup.”
What Canada needs Thursday is a clean match with intensity that can survive the early pressure of a must-win. After rallying strongly in the final half-hour against Bosnia by dominating and scoring the tying goal. Canada earned the single point that could have lasting effects. The extra two points they denied their opponent also mattered. and the belief built by scoring may be just as important as the standings.
But the situation doesn’t soften with the next opponent. Canada’s final opening-round game is against Group B favourites Switzerland next Wednesday, and the path to the Round of 32 could require Canada to beat Qatar.
Eustaquio framed it in plain terms: “We’ve been having tough games through our recent past but. yeah. I think this is one of the biggest games so far for me in the men’s national team.” The veteran midfielder. 29. said the urgency is built around results and momentum. “I think everybody knows that if we do (get) three points this next game. it puts us in a good stage to get out of the group.”.
“We’re very calm. We just have to be ourselves and if we’re ourselves, that’s going to be enough,” he said.
Canada’s sense of readiness also comes through in their belief about style. Eustaquio said the urgency is to secure the first goal, and he wants his team to attack rather than chase. “I think the urgency is to just get that first goal. We want to be the aggressors.” He pointed back to Qatar’s role in the last World Cup. and how Canada reacted after their first game defeat to Belgium. “We knew that after that first game (losing to Belgium), it was going to be very hard. So it was very important for us to get this tie against Bosnia. Now we get Qatar, which is going to be very tough. But at the same time, we’re home, we’re not in Qatar. We’re home and I think that’s very important for us to have our fans beside us.”.
Laryea. 31. added a different kind of pressure — the kind that comes with the belief that an entire country might feel the moment. The fullback spent most of his professional career in Canada and was excellent as Davies’ fill-in against Bosnia. “I think we all know how big of a moment this is for our country. so we want to do as well as possible. ” he told reporters. “We all within that locker room speak about wanting to make this country a soccer country. a footballing country. and I think we know this is a perfect opportunity to do so. So I think, yeah, you could use the word pressure; I think we would use the word ready.”.
In the end, Qatar is still the immediate test, and Canada’s forward line is where the tension lands hardest. Davies’ readiness is a question that can’t be answered yet. but Jonathan David’s is right now — not because of his talent. but because of the way his night against Bosnia ended and what that means for how Marsch manages the all-time-leading scorer when the stakes rise again on Thursday.
Canada vs Qatar World Cup Jonathan David Alphonso Davies Jesse Marsch Stephen Eustaquio Alistair Johnston Cyle Larin Promise David Ali Ahmed Jacob Shaffelburg Nikola Vasilj Vancouver