Nathan Saliba is part of a Canada Soccer story that now includes Canada’s first World Cup point and first World Cup victory. After a 2–1 loss to Switzerland on Wednesday, Peter Augruso said those milestones have changed how the team is seen and left Canada with a Round of 32 match against South Africa in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Peter Augruso on Canada Soccer
“Of course, we’re disappointed when we don’t win because our expectations are higher now but think about what we’ve accomplished: Canada’s first World Cup point, Canada’s first World Cup victory, now an opportunity to reach the last 16” Augruso said to Sportsnet. He added that the men’s side is beginning to build its own history and that Canada is getting “a tremendous amount of credibility as a football nation.”
That shift is not just about mood. It changes the language around the team from participation to expectation, which is exactly what happens when a program starts collecting firsts instead of near-misses. Canada Soccer can now point to results that move the standard inside the group and outside it.
John Herdman and Jesse Marsch
Augruso said John Herdman started the movement when he came to Canada with the women’s program and then took over the men’s side, while Jesse Marsch has built on everything Herdman accomplished and taken it to another level. “Jesse’s a charismatic guy, and I think he’s been great for the sport in this country,” Augruso said, adding that Marsch has taught Canadians to believe in themselves.
He also said that federation presidents around the world are telling him, “Wow, Canada has really come a long way.” Augruso’s point is blunt: Canada is no longer viewed as the easy game, and that reputational change gives the team more room to demand results rather than apologize for them.
Toronto and Vancouver support
Before the Qatar match, Augruso said around 8,000 supporters walked together to the stadium, and he said, “Everywhere you go in Vancouver you feel like you’re in a World Cup city.” He added that Toronto was “fantastic too” and that soccer surpassed other major sports there on one of the match days.
Gianni Infantino watched Canada’s historic 6–0 win over Qatar alongside Augruso and Mark Carney, a scene that captured how much attention the tournament drew in Toronto and Vancouver. For Canada Soccer, the support matters as much as the scoreline: the team now has results, noise around it and a clearer claim to legitimacy.
Sunday’s match against South Africa in Los Angeles is the next test, and the standard has already shifted. Canada beat Qatar 6–0, then lost 2–1 to Switzerland; now the only question that matters is whether that credibility turns into a place in the last 16.
