Trailing Switzerland 2-1 and needing a draw to stay in Vancouver for the World Cup knockout round, Canadian fans wondered when Alphonso Davies would come off the bench to save them, but it turned out that despite coach Jesse Marsch’s public statements, he was not ready to play.
Less than 24 hours earlier, Marsch told reporters that the 25-year-old had recovered from a hamstring injury and was ready to play against the Swiss, but during his post-match press conference at BC Place he revealed that he had not told the whole truth.
“To be honest, Alphonso wasn’t ready yet, so I used him a bit as bait,” Marsch told reporters Thursday, chuckling. “But he will be ready next game.”
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Marsch’s revelation was met with media silence and when pressed on the issue, the 52-year-old became defensive.
«He would never play today,» Marsch said bluntly, adding that he said Davies would play in an attempt to fool his Swiss opponents.
The Canadians started their World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto before heading west to Vancouver, where Davies made a name for himself with the Vancouver Whitecaps before moving to German Bundesliga side Bayern Munich.
Canada has remained tight-lipped about his return from injury. He first said he was in a return-to-play protocol and then refused to give an update on his progress until Marsch declared himself fit ahead of the 6-0 win against Qatar.
The left-footed Davies is capable of dominating the flank as a winger or wing-back, and useful in the centre. He is by far Canada’s best player, but the idea that the Swiss would adjust his game plan based on the possibility of him making a cameo appearance is fanciful.
«Of course we have been watching Davies during this tournament, but we have not only prepared for individual players. At the moment we are only reacting to what happens on the pitch,» Swiss coach Murat Yakin told reporters.
With the Swiss winning the group, the country will now play its final 32 matches in Vancouver and remain there for the last 16 if they win, while Marsch and Canada head south to Los Angeles to take on South Africa.
Marsch spoke to the press again on Thursday at his team’s training base at the University of British Columbia, and after emphasizing that he had no regrets about trying to gain an advantage over the Swiss by misleading him, he was asked whether Davies would play in the last-32 match.
“Yes, no one is going to take that as anything other than an exaggeration, but he’s going to play,” he said.
Published on June 26, 2026
