Canada not allowing injury trouble to derail momentum |
VANCOUVER – When he appeared for the start of Canada’s practice Monday at the World Cup, Stephen Eustaquio was wearing a training belt to monitor fitness. Had he emerged in full bubble wrap, no one except him would have complained.
As Canada prepares for its final group-stage game here against Switzerland on Wednesday, when a win or draw will guarantee first-place and continued home-field advantage at B.C. Place Stadium for the World Cup co-hosts, Eustaquio’s health and durability have become critically important to the national team.
Last week’s historic 6-0 demolition of Qatar was instantly a defining moment for men’s soccer in Canada.
But the defining moments of Thursday’s game included central midfielder Ismael Kone’s tournament-ending injury in the 53rd minute when his left leg was sickeningly broken by Assim Madibo’s late tackle from behind.
Canada has no one who can fully replace Kone’s combination of size, dribbling skill and dynamic box-to-box drive in the middle of the park.
So when Eustaquio, the 29-year-old central midfielder who has played 58 times for Canada and ran for 90 minutes against Qatar, was not on the University of B.C. practice field Sunday with teammates during the media’s 15-minute viewing window, the challenge of replacing Kone threatened to become a crisis.
But Eustaquio appeared to be a full participant on Monday based on the team’s warmup during the media window.
So, too, were injured captain Alphonso Davies and centre-back Moise Bombito, who........