Canada head coach Jesse Marsch admitted after Wednesday's 2-1 loss to Switzerland that his earlier statements suggesting captain Alphonso Davies would play were a ruse. Despite Marsch saying Tuesday that Davies was almost certain to feature in the Group B decider at B.C. Place, the star left back never left the bench.
Davies remains sidelined as Canada loses
Davies did not warm up and was a peripheral figure even as a cheerleader. During a second-half hydration break, with Canada down 2-0, he stretched his back a couple of times but then sat on a water bucket in front of the bench. With his team trailing 2-1 and needing a goal to extend their stay in Vancouver, the final substitution saw Richie Laryea replaced by Jacob Shaffelburg, not Davies.
After the match, Marsch told reporters the plan was always to keep Davies out. “Because I wanted Switzerland to have to think about it,” he said. When asked if it worked, he replied: “I think that I listened to their press conference, they had like three questions about Alphonso Davies, so they at least had to prepare for that.”
Questions over Davies' fitness and future
The episode raises questions about why Davies is with the squad if he cannot play. He is recovering from his second hamstring injury, a year and a half after a serious knee injury suffered on Canada duty. With his club career at Bayern Munich at a delicate stage, the 25-year-old may be anxious about stepping on the pitch. He makes his living playing for one of the world's top clubs, not for his country.
Marsch has worked to build the team's following, but being dishonest with the Canadian public is a tough look. After the match, Davies avoided the media, walking through the mixed zone with his phone pressed to his ear, making clear he did not want to talk.
Will Davies play in the round of 32?
Canada now faces a round-of-32 match Sunday in Los Angeles. Marsch insisted after the game that Davies is definitely available for that match, but it is clear his availability is not entirely in the coach's hands. Given the tournament's grandeur and the home crowd, selecting Davies even as a morale booster may have made sense given Canada's lack of depth.
Swiss coach Murat Yakin downplayed the impact of Marsch's decoy. “I mean you always have to plan with the captain and you have to look at different games and different styles,” he said. “Of course we looked at Davies also during this tournament but we didn't only prepare for individual players. Right now we only react to what's happen on the pitch.”
