The chilling injury suffered this Thursday by midfielder Ismaël Koné will remain as the sad note of Canada’s 6-0 win over Qatar on the second day of Group B of the World Cup.
Ismaël Koné, who, according to the coach, will undergo surgery tonight in Vancouver.
“He is in the hospital. They will prepare him for surgery. I am going to go see him after this press conference,” Marsch explained after the game, in an appearance in which he alternated satisfaction with the victory with concern for the midfielder.
Koné suffered the injury in an action that occurred next to the Canadian bench. Marsch acknowledged that the impact was hard for the entire group and that the snap of the player’s left leg fracture could be heard from the bench.
“We could all hear it. I knew right away that it was similar to when Tajon was injured in training,” said the coach, who compared the team’s reaction to the one he already had after Tajon Buchanan’s injury in the Copa América.
The coach pointed out that Koné is “a very important part of the heart” of Canada and admitted that his loss will be important. “I don’t think we have another player like Ismael,” he added.
Marsch explained that the Qatari footballer involved in the action went to the Canadian locker room to apologize to Koné, although he criticized the Qatari bench’s reaction to a play that ended with such a serious injury.
Despite the emotional blow, Canada completed a historic night. After drawing against Bosnia-Herzegovina in their debut, Marsch’s team added their first victory in a men’s World Cup against Qatar and put themselves in a position to fight for the leadership of the group.
“When I came here, the vision was more than this World Cup. It was to change the sport in the country, generate interest, create an identity of what Canadian soccer could be,” said Marsch.
The coach considered that the win has a value that exceeds the result. “Moments like today are needed, moments that everyone remembers. No Canadian will forget this day,” he said.
Marsch also highlighted the response of Jonathan David, scorer of three goals after having received criticism for his performance in the first match.
“I never had doubts about Johnny. He is a striker, a scorer,” said the coach, who said that the attacker trained “very well” during the week and came to the game in the right mental state.
The coach assured that the team will celebrate the victory with a family barbecue before starting to prepare for the next match, in which Canada could win the group and remain in Vancouver for the next round.
“Great moments don’t come easily and you have to appreciate and celebrate them,” Marsch said. “But then we will have to focus all our attention on what it will take to be truly great in this tournament.”