Canada’s biggest World Cup worry: Where are the goals?

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The expectations are genuinely high for Canada’s third and most anticipated trip yet to the World Cup. And the hopes of what could emerge as a soon-to-be soccer-loving country are legitimate.

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They are a host nation, which helped in a softer draw, which in turn laid out a clear and achievable path to advance past group play.

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They are a motivated team that has responded to the coaching of Jesse Marsch and has had credible success under the American in the lead-up to the event.

And with an expanded field to bloat the tournament format, they are in a very gettable Group B, which suggests advancement to at least the Round of 32 should be considered the minimum level to define success in the weeks ahead.

But to reach these goals, the Canadians need to score … goals, arguably the biggest challenge facing a team still in search of its first-ever win on the World Cup stage.

The injury-hampered Canadian side has for the most part been tight defensively in the buildup to a tournament that begins for them on Friday at Toronto Stadium (formerly BMO Field) against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

But the offence that should be led by slumping potential scoring leaders such as Jonathan David and Cyle Larin needs to start producing.

“We’ll keep working on it, but we have the firepower, I know that,” Marsch said following Friday’s 1-1 draw with Ireland in Montreal, a World Cup send-off match in which Canada’s lone goal was an own goal.

“And I know the goals haven’t been coming and I’ve been saying they’re coming. And I’m going to say it again, they’re coming. Yeah, we’ve got to score some goals, but we will.”

Finding a means to be more productive is up there with injuries as the biggest challenges facing Marsch and his team in this final week of preparation.

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How to improve on offence

Facing a Bosnia and Herzegovina team that is known for a patient and structured approach, the goals won’t come easily.

The 64th-ranked Dragons aren’t shy about engaging physically, further adding stress to their opponent’s attack.

“Obviously we need to make a few more plays,” Marsch acknowledged following the Friday contest, when Canada once again failed to capitalize on chances. “Just some right decisions and then when we do create advantages just that we can be a little clearer in the final action.

“Some of the ideas and speed at which we can put a combination together that can either lead to a cross, something across the goal or a guy who can set his feet and now when he shoots, put it in the corner. Those little things.”

Little things that lead to big and necessary things for a team battling to score in open play.

Front and centre is the struggles of David, who has 39 goals for Canada and Larin, who has 30 but has been goalless in his most recent 14 games for his country, not scoring since 2024.

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For David, who scored twice on penalties against Iceland earlier this year, the overall struggles mirror a miserable season for Juventus (where he scored just six times in 35 Serie A contests), one that has cast doubts about his future with the Italian powerhouse.

It’s not a stretch to surmise that if Canada is to meet the lofty and legitimate expectations, they’ll need to first find a way to be productive on offence. The group is there for the taking, yes, but the pressure to score will ratchet up, beginning Friday.

Canada’s history of World Cup goals

Yes, it’s a short one.

Over their two appearances and six World Cup matches, Canada has just put one ball in the back of the net and has just one actual goal scorer.

The first of those was the historic one, an Alphonso Davies header late in a 4-1 loss to Croatia four years ago in Qatar.

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The other came after in that tournament and was an own goal after a feed from Canada’s Sam Adekugbe bounced off of Moroccan defender Nayef Aguerd and into the net for what was officially scored as an own goal.

That was it from three contests in the 2022 tournament after Canada was unable to score in its only other World Cup appearance in Mexico back in 1986.

What’s next for Canada?

As the team shifts to Toronto this week, the preparations will enter the fine-tuning phase. Canada will do its lead-up work at the TFC training grounds in Downsview.

Marsch has had a structured build up to the tournament, which started with a short camp in Charlotte, N.C. two weeks ago to prepare for the heat that could be a factor. That was followed by two send-off friendlies — a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan in Edmonton and Friday’s draw versus Ireland.

“I don’t think we’re overly anxious or excited about the World Cup,” Marsch said of his team’s temperament. “Obviously we know it’s going to be some big matches and some big moments for everyone, but I think the focus and concentration within the team has been really good.

“I think that the players understand that our ability to concentrate on the game itself is going to dictate how well we do in the tournament.”

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