Canada finished their pre-World Cup friendlies with a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan and a 1-1 draw with Ireland. The crowd in Montreal sang "olé, olé, olé" and serenaded the players on a lap of honour. And yet, right now, the most important story coming out of camp isn't what happened on the pitch — it's what's happening off it.
Moïse Bombito is reportedly set to be replaced on Canada's World Cup roster. TSN broke the news that the centre-back's surgically repaired leg, broken in October, is not healthy enough to compete. The decision, per reports, was made to protect his long-term future. That is the right call. It is also a significant problem for Jesse Marsch.
Bombito's absence leaves a real hole
This isn't just losing a squad player. Bombito was Canada's best centre-back — a defender whose recovery speed and front-foot aggression are genuinely central to how Marsch wants to play. His return against Uzbekistan lasted less than 30 minutes. He looked off the pace, had a collision with Derek Cornelius on an early Uzbek chance, and was visibly carrying discomfort in the repaired leg. He didn't feature against Ireland at all.
The good news is that 20-year-old Luc De Fougerolles has looked calm and composed in his place. The Fulham youngster — on loan at FCV Dender in Belgium this season — doesn't look overawed. But he's 20, playing his first year of men's football, and Canada are about to open a home World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 at Toronto Stadium. That's a different exam entirely.
With Marcelo Flores already out with an ACL injury, Marsch has one roster spot to fill. Whether he adds defensive cover or attacking reinforcement is the decision of the week.
Thirty shots, three goals — the striker problem is real
Marsch has been saying for over a year that the goals will come. Across these two friendlies — 30 combined shots, six on target — Canada scored three times. Cyle Larin's drought since 2024 continued despite revived form at Southampton. Jonathan David, now at Juventus, managed one shot across 180 minutes. Tani Oluwaseyi created chances but couldn't convert.
Promise David scored an offside goal against Uzbekistan and looked lively in 37 minutes, but he's only played more than 45 minutes once in ten Canada caps. He might be the answer Marsch hasn't fully committed to yet.
For a team whose Group B opponents include Switzerland — a side that will be defensively disciplined and hard to break down — that finishing rate is a genuine concern. Canada's odds of progressing from the group stage rest heavily on whether their strikers can deliver when it counts. Right now, there's no evidence they will.
What actually worked
Not everything is bleak. Maxime Crépeau has won the goalkeeper battle over Dayne St. Clair, and he looked sharp: two key saves against Uzbekistan, a penalty stop against Troy Parrott, and a composed denial of Mason Melia in behind. Crépeau suits Canada's high-press, space-behind system better than any other option available.
Set pieces also showed signs of evolution. Canada scored from a driven Eustáquio corner against Ireland rather than a looping ball to a target man. They unveiled quick layoffs, fake signals, and long-range efforts designed to catch opponents off-guard — a marked change from the predictable routines opponents had clocked. Sunday's training session was completely closed to media after previously being open, which suggests there's more in the locker.
The defensive transition vulnerability, though, hasn't gone away. Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson spelled it out plainly: "If you're patient against Canada, you will get these chances, and you need to convert them when you do." That's the blueprint, and every team Canada faces in Group B will have watched the same film.
Marsch put it simply after the Ireland draw: "I know Canadians love a winner, and also they love good people." Canada have the good people. The winner part gets tested starting June 12.
