Luc de Fougerolles rises as Cyle Larin’s poor form deepens attacking concerns – Winners and losers from Canada’s pre-World Cup friendlies

MONTRÉAL — In the moments after Canada’s 1-1 draw with Ireland, Jesse Marsch had little interest in doom.

The Canada manager, generally upbeat but never shy about demanding more from his group, chose his words carefully after his team’s final World Cup tune-up.

“I’m going to be positive,” he told reporters in Montréal. “I’m not here to take a bunch of negative questions, but if you ask me negative questions, I’ll just move on to the next one. This group is really strong; they’re really committed, fit, and ready to push… so yeah, we’ve got to score some goals, but we will.”

That line may have frustrated some. Canada had just failed to beat a weakened Ireland side, and the attacking issues were obvious. But Marsch was also measured. For a manager leading Canada into their first experience as World Cup hosts, there is little value in projecting panic days before the tournament begins.

Canada’s final pre-World Cup friendlies offered plenty to digest. They beat World Cup-bound Uzbekistan 2-0 in front of more than 43,000 fans in Edmonton, playing through a torrential downpour, before drawing Ireland at a sold-out Stade Saputo in Montréal.

Now, the preparation becomes more precise. Canada have seen the crowds, felt the occasion and tested several pieces of the squad. The question is where they stand before opening Group B play against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland and Qatar.

The mood around the group is not especially worried. It is not overly excited, either. It feels more dialed in than anything else. After two weeks built largely around heat training and fitness, the next few days are likely to feature more tactical work, sharper set-piece preparation and a closer look at the details that can decide World Cup matches.

“With this opportunity at this moment in time,” Marsch said, “our main focus is to capture that by performances, by wins, by success, and we want to give our country something to be really proud of.”

So, with the friendlies wrapped, GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Canada’s final World Cup tune-ups.