FIFA World Cup Group B
Switzerland look like being the strongest team in this group with a FIFA ranking of 19th. The other teams are pretty far down the pecking order so Canada, as co-hosts and with the home crowds behind them wil expect to progress but we saw in the qualifier play-offs that Bosnia & Herzegovina are a tough team to beat.
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Canada
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Canada 1 Bosnia & Herzegovina 1
Toronto
12 June
The co-hosts were determined to make Canada's first World Cup match on home soil a memorable occasion. A temporary stand housed 7,000 extra supporters, Michael Bublé warbled "Bring It On Home to Me", Alanis Morisette belted out the Canadian national anthem. There was also a flypast from the Snowbirds for dood measure. After Jovo Lukic put Bosnia & Herzegovina into the lead in the 21st minute Canada discovered just how difficult their opponents could be to beat as they laboured to find an equaliser. Cyle Larin finally delivered the goods in the 78th minute 121 seconds after coming on as a substitute.
Qatar
Switzerland
Qatar 1 Switzerland 1
Santa Clara
13 June
Switzerland were expected to roll over Qatar and they took the lead from a controversial penalty in the 17th minute. Replays suggested a Swiss player was offside immediately befoe the penalty decision but FIFA's state of the art VAR offside system chose this moment to fail. Although Switzerland pressed relentlessly through the rest of the game they were complacent and lacking in quality in front of goal and the suspicion grew that 1-0 might not be enough. So it proved in the 94th minute when Qatar whipped over a good cross and sub Muheim, under pressure from Boualem Khoukhi, headed into his own goal. This was Qatar's first ever point in the World Cup finals.
Switzerland
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Switzerland 4 Bosnia & Herzegovina 1
Inglewood
18 June
All the action came in the final chaotic 20 minutes. Less than three minutes after coming on as a sub, Johan Manzambi volleyed the ball home (74'). Six minutes later Muharemović was given a straight red card for bringing down Breel Embolo when he was through on goal. Vargas then doubled the Swiss lead (84') before Manzambi made it 3-0 in the 90th minute. There was more action to come as Mahmić (90'+3) made it 3-1 with a superb strike from outside the penalty area and Xhaka wrapped it up with a penalty in the 7th minute of added time.
Canada
Qatar
Canada 6 Qatar 0
Vancouver
18 June
A hat trick from Jonathan David helped the home team overwhelm Qatar who were reduced to nine players. Larin opened the scoring, tidying up after Qatar's 'keeper failed to hold a shot (16'). David scored Canada's second in the 29th minute just before Homan Ahmed was sent off for denying Tajon Buchanan a goal scoring opportunity (33'). David made Qatar pay with another goal in added time (45+3). Assim Madibo was then sent off for a challenge that left Kone with a badly broken leg and Nathan Saliba scored from the free-kick. To complete Qatar's humiliation, Mohamed Manai put through his own goal (75') and David completed his hat-trick in the second minute of added time.
Switzerland
Canada
Switzerland 2 Canada 1
Vancouver
24 June
The first half was something of a dog fight in which neither side coud get the upper hand. It was a different story after the break, Ruben Vargas scoring for the Swiss 40 seconds after the restart and Johan Manzambi doubling their lead 11 minutes later. Promise David gave Canada a glimmer of hope in the 76th minute finishing off a neatly exercised move. Both teams go forward to the next stage but finishing in second place meant that Canada would not be playing in front of their home fans in the next round.
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Qatar
Bosnia & Herzegovina 3 Qatar 1
Vancouver
24 June
A brilliant strike from teenager Kerim Alajbegovic in the 29th minute put Bosnia & Herzegovina into the lead. Moments later veteran Edin Dzeko fired in a shot that struck defender Sultan Al Brake and deflected past past Abunada who managed to get a finger tip to the ball and as a result an own goal was awarded. Hassan Al-Haydos bundled a cross home to reduce the deficit and Qatar applied pressure but lacked the quality to make it count. In the 80th minute Ermin Mahmic came off the bench and slotted the ball home after a scramble in the box. Bosnia finished level on points with Canada but with an inferior goal difference and now have to hope they will qualify as one of the eight best third placed teams.
