Switzerland Beats Canada 2-1, Both Advance to World Cup Knockout Stage
Switzerland defeated Canada 2-1 on Wednesday to top Group B, while Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Qatar 3-1. Both Switzerland and Canada have qualified for the knockout phase.
Switzerland secured first place in Group B of the World Cup with a 2-1 (0-0) victory over Canada on Wednesday. Both teams had already clinched spots in the knockout stage before the match.
Just one minute into the second half, Ruben Vargas opened the scoring for Switzerland after a pass from Johan Manzambi. Manzambi then doubled the lead ten minutes later, finishing a setup from Breel Embolo. Canada pulled one back after a cooling break through Promis David. Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made several late saves to preserve the win.
In the other Group B match, Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Qatar 3-1 (2-1). Kerim Alajbegovic scored first, followed by an own goal from Qatar's Sultan Al-Brake. Hassan Al-Haidoss reduced the deficit just before halftime, but Ermin Mahmic restored Bosnia's two-goal lead in the second half.
After three matches, Switzerland leads with seven points, followed by Canada and Bosnia on four points (Bosnia has a worse goal difference), and Qatar with one point. Bosnia can still advance as one of the best third-placed teams.
Later matches on Wednesday include Morocco vs. Haiti and Scotland vs. Brazil in Group C, and Czech Republic vs. Mexico and South Korea vs. South Africa in Group A.
This is the first World Cup featuring 48 teams. The group stage ends on June 27. Defending champion Argentina beat France in the 2022 final.
