Canada coach says team are relishing pressure ahead of World Cup opener as co-hosts

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/x4toKORL/"]Canada[/a] will arrive at Toronto Stadium on Friday for their first World Cup game on home soil carrying the ‌weight of a nation after a build-up that has been defined as much by the treatment room as the training pitch, ‌but Marsch is undaunted.[/p][p]"[b]If you do this for a living, this is where you want ‌to be,[/b]" Marsch said on Thursday [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/bosnia-herzegovina-fqe7WYTr/canada-x4toKORL/?mid=OxkQ8qT6"]ahead of the Group B opener[/a] against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bosnia-herzegovina/fqe7WYTr/"]Bosnia and Herzegovina[/a].[/p][p]"[b]I came to Canada ‌to be the coach because I liked these guys and I believed they could fit ‌the way I wanted to play, but I came here to lead them in the World Cup - in the home World Cup.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I wanted this responsibility.[/b]"[/p][p]The biggest injury concern remains captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/davies-alphonso/4r3PXV20/"]Alphonso Davies[/a], who ‌will miss Friday's match with a hamstring injury suffered during [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]⁠Bayern Munich[/a]'s Champions League semi-final last month. But Marsch ‌said an MRI on Wednesday brought encouraging signs.[/p][p]"[b]We're getting ready to ramp things up,[/b]" the American said.[/p][p]"[b]He will ​not be available for tomorrow, but he's showing, like he always has, a real good ability to recover from muscle injuries.[/b][/p][p]"[b]We're really hopeful that over the next days and ​weeks we can accelerate things and give him a chance to contribute here soon.[/b]"[/p][p]Midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kone-ismael/MkgjOoBG/"]Ismael Kone[/a] sent a scare through the camp when he left training early on Wednesday before it had even ⁠properly begun, but Marsch was quick ​to put those fears to rest - with a touch of exasperation.[/p][p]"[b]He just felt a little sick, so we sent him home because we were doing nothing on the day, and it was like a five-star red alert,[/b]" Marsch said. "[b]Ismael trained today, he's totally fine, he's ready to go.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="898eed71-fbcb-4dad-807a-53d53b4b2158" url="https://x.com/BenSteiner00/status/2065193430859256287?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Even defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bombito-moise/4dBTEEF3/"]Moise Bombito[/a], whose recovery ‌from a broken leg appeared to stall after lasting just 30 minutes in a warm-up match against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/uzbekistan/EZYKKRMc/"]Uzbekistan[/a], will be ready if called upon.[/p][p]"[b]He's not fully at 100%, but he's reached his top speed,[/b]" Marsch said. "[b]I don't see any reason that a week from now he's not ready to even be considered as a starter.[/b]"[/p][p]Discipline will also be on Marsch's mind. Canada have collected a handful of red cards in their last 11 games, and with the adrenaline of a home opener in the air, Marsch was clear-eyed about the risk.[/p][p]"[b]Certainly one of the best ways to derail a tournament for any team is red cards[/b]," he said.[/p][p]"[b]We do need to be ‌aggressive and play our way with speed and power, but we also need to make sure that ​we keep our heads and don't have any reckless tackles, extracurricular situations, or emotional reactions ‌that get us in any kind of trouble with cards.[/b]"[/p][p]Canada have made significant strides since Marsch took over in 2024, notably reaching the Copa America semi-finals that year. This is also the first time Canada have appeared at back-to-back World Cups, and they are still searching for their maiden point after six defeats across the 1986 and 2022 tournaments.[/p][p]Marsch declared his team ⁠ready. "[b]We are ready to play some big games,[/b]" ⁠said Marsch. "[b]We are ready to make our ‌country proud, make our fans proud. We are ready to go after this.[/b]"[/p]