Jesse Marsch can talk about firepower and belief all he wants. The story coming out of Canada's pre-World Cup window is simpler and more sobering: Moïse Bombito is likely out, and his replacement is a 20-year-old who spent last season in the Belgian second division.
TSN reported that Bombito will be replaced on the World Cup roster after Canada determined his surgically repaired leg — broken in October — isn't fit enough to compete. The decision, framed around protecting his long-term health, is the right one medically. Competitively, it's a gut punch. Bombito was one of Canada's most important defenders under Marsch: fast enough to play a high line, aggressive enough to step out and hunt, and athletic enough to cover when the press breaks down. Without him, Canada are thinner at the back heading into their biggest tournament in program history.
De Fougerolles steps in, but questions remain
The silver lining, and it is a real one, is Luc De Fougerolles. The Fulham-owned 20-year-old was composed in both friendlies, comfortable with the ball and willing to drive forward rather than just defend. He's not Bombito — nobody on this roster is — but he didn't look out of his depth either.
"Playing men's football, you have to be a bit smarter," De Fougerolles told GOAL. "It's become easier to kind of problem-solve on the pitch." That's a good answer for a 20-year-old in his first senior international window. Whether it translates against Bosnia and Herzegovina's physical forwards on June 12 is a different conversation entirely.
The Bombito absence also exposes Canada's structural vulnerability: defensive transition. Marsch's "Maplepressing" system is relentless and effective in the first hour of matches, but it leaves space in behind, and teams willing to be patient will find it. Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson said as much after Monday's 1-1 draw in Montreal: "If you're patient against Canada, you will get these chances." Ireland nearly stole it late. Iceland scored twice from transition in March. Uzbekistan found gaps early. The pattern is consistent enough to worry about against Switzerland and Qatar — two sides with the technical quality to exploit it.
Crépeau wins the gloves — and earns them
Maxime Crépeau's selection as Canada's No. 1 over Dayne St. Clair wasn't a decision driven purely by statistics — by those numbers, St. Clair likely edges it. But Marsch went with Crépeau's composure and his specific fit for a system that constantly demands his goalkeeper to sweep and win one-on-ones. Against Uzbekistan, he charged out twice to kill counterattacks. Against Ireland, he stopped Mason Melia on a clear breakaway and then saved Troy Parrott's penalty — in Montreal, the city where he signed his first professional contract as an 18-year-old with Marsch at the Montreal Impact. The full-circle element writes itself, but what matters more is that Crépeau justified the pick across both matches.
The striker situation is murkier. Cyle Larin hasn't scored for Canada since 2024. Jonathan David — now at Juventus — managed one shot across 180 minutes in the two friendlies. Tani Oluwaseyi was lively against Uzbekistan without converting. Across both matches, Canada took 30 shots, put six on target, and scored three times. That conversion rate won't hold up in the group stage. Promise David, the 6-foot-plus target man who scored an offside goal against Uzbekistan, is an option Marsch hasn't fully committed to despite the obvious threat he poses in his 37 minutes of action. With Marcelo Flores out (ACL) and a roster spot still open, Marsch has one last decision to make — shore up the defense or gamble on another attacking option.
- Opener: Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, June 12, Toronto Stadium
- Group B games: vs Qatar and Switzerland at BC Place, Vancouver
- Bombito status: Reported off the roster, decision made to protect long-term health
- Roster spot open: Following Marcelo Flores' ACL injury
"I know Canadians love a winner," Marsch said after the Ireland draw. "And also they love good people, and I think we can show that we can be both." The crowd at Stade Saputo serenaded the players with olés. The belief is genuine. But Group B doesn't care about atmospheres — and right now Canada's back line is thinner, its striker goals aren't coming, and its best center back is watching from the stands.
