Canada through but home World Cup is over

No more games on home soil

You are through to the Round of 32, but the party moves south. Canada finished second in Group B after Wednesday's 2–1 loss to Switzerland, and every knockout match from here will be played in the United States (2). The co-hosting advantage is gone. Your team will not kick another ball on Canadian grass this tournament.

Xhaka incident leaves a sour taste

Switzerland 2–1 Canada on Wednesday, and Granit Xhaka was at the center of it. Dutch pundit Robert Maaskant called one moment "kolderiek", farcical, after Xhaka tangled with Cyle Larin in a way that looked like both players tried to get each other booked (1). Maaskant did not hold back: "You can just get each other booked there" (1).

Fan reactions

Fans are taking the bigger picture well. All three host nations, Canada, USA, Mexico, are through to the Round of 32, and the acronym jokes are writing themselves. The mood on Reddit is celebratory, even if the road now leads away from home. One Korean fan noted their team missed a golden chance to face Canada in LA, where the largest Korean diaspora outside Korea lives.