South Africa vs. Canada
1 of 16
Match Date: Sunday, June 28
While Canada will be miffed that they couldn’t top Group B to remain in their home country until potentially the quarterfinals, they’ll like their chances against South Africa in the Round of 32.
South Africa, though, won’t be a pushover. They showed as much en route to a surprising second-place finish in Group A. Their win over South Korea last time out could be the blueprint for how they hope to progress in the knockouts: be defensively solid and lighting quick in transition. For Jesse Marsch’s Canada team that prefers to press and attack on the break themselves, the tactical battle in Los Angeles will be fascinating.
Even so, Canada’s talent advantage may be too much for South Africa to overcome. With a plethora of quality forwards, including Juventus striker Jonathan David, and the possibility of seeing Alphonso Davies feature, Canada’s attack should have enough to sneak into the Round of 16.
Canada have looked strong, and they were unfortunate not to have topped their group after Switzerland escaped a late barrage to win their last game.
Jesse Marsch has instilled a relentless approach in the team — they actually lead the tournament in expected goals and touches in the opposition penalty area, according to — and the plan seems to be to overwhelm opponents with their energy levels.
Marsch’s team will be making their first trip south of the border in the competition, and while they should still have the majority of support in Los Angeles, it will be interesting to see how that approach translates when it isn’t being raucously backed by the sea of red that has witnessed their group games.
South Africa have been less convincing, getting well beaten by Mexico before a draw and win over Czechia and South Korea, respectively, in two tightly contested games.
In the Mexico defeat in particular, they also put themselves in trouble with some ill-advised passes around their own penalty area, and a Canada team that has been effective in disrupting opponents’ build-up sequences could find joy in those moments.
Prediction: Canada win 2-0
Unless you’re from either nation, this is perhaps the most shrug-inducing matchup of the round of 32.
It’s not exactly the fault of the two teams involved, but a meeting between a Canada team ranked 32nd by FIFA and a South Africa team ranked 54th doesn’t exactly scream “World Cup knockout game.”
But here we are, and despite the lack of obvious fireworks, there is still plenty to like about this fixture.
Canada will be leaving its snug home-nation confines and heading to Los Angeles, adding an interesting wrinkle to the Maple Leafs’ bid to continue through the competition. A mixed bag of results saw them scrape through the group stage, but a 6-0 win over Qatar shows that firepower does exist in Jesse Marsch’s ranks.
Meanwhile, South Africa will still be buzzing after a 1-0 win over Korea Republic in its final group-stage fixture that sealed its path to the knockouts.
It’s safe to say few predicted Bafana Bafana to get to this stage after a 2-0 loss to Mexico in the opening game of Group A, which saw them finish with nine men. But they demonstrated extraordinary tenacity, resulting in the nation’s first appearance at this stage of the competition.
It’s also new territory for Canada, so history will be made one way or another regardless of which team triumphs. But Canada seems to have the edge, if not for the likelihood of more fans being in attendance, but for scoring eight in the tournament so far compared to South Africa’s two.
