Cyle Larin came as a substitution and had an immediate impact by helping Canada draw 1-1 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Group B opener of the FIFA World Cup on Friday. The co-hosts earned their first-ever point in their third appearance at the tournament.
The Canada striker had been on the pitch for three minutes that long looked like Bosnia sealing a slim win, until Larin fired home the equaliser in the 78th minute to script his name in history by scoring the first Canadian World Cup goal on home soil.
“It was special for me. I was ready to come and help the team,” said Larin. “I thought the goals would come. I score when Canada needs me, and always have done.”
Bosnia took the lead in the 21st minute when Jovo Lukic scored his first international goal, finishing off a flick-on from a corner.
Canada pushed hard for an equaliser and came very close in the 53rd minute. Richie Laryea looked set to score, but Bosnia defender Sead Kolasinac produced a brilliant last-ditch clearance, diverting the ball onto the crossbar and away from danger.
After conceding, Canada continued to attack and created several opportunities. However, they struggled to find the finishing touch as Bosnia defended resolutely. The Bosnian players appeared to tire as the match progressed but still looked on course for a narrow victory.
That changed when Larin came off the bench in the 76th minute. Just two minutes later, he scored with a deflected shot to level the score and send the home crowd into celebration.
“The substitutes made a big difference,” Canada coach Jesse Marsch said. “The tempo increased, and we could see they were getting tired. I told the players that this was our moment and that we had to go for the goal.”
The draw earned Canada their first-ever point at a FIFA World Cup after losing all six of their previous matches across the 1986 and 2022 tournaments. However, they were still left disappointed not to have secured all three points.
Canada had a great chance to take an early lead when Jonathan David, the country’s all-time top scorer, found space in front of goal. But his powerful effort went straight at Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj.
After Lukic’s opener, Canada dominated large stretches of the match.
“We learned that in tournaments like this, where every player dreams of competing, you have to fight until the very last second,” Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic said.
“Canada could have scored at the end, but if you keep fighting, you can avoid those situations. We just have to keep going.”
Bosnia will next face group favourites Switzerland in Los Angeles on June 18, while Canada will take on Qatar in Vancouver later that day.
