Switzerland earned top spot in Group B at the World Cup with a 2-1 win over co-hosts Canada courtesy of two second-half goals.
After a quiet first half at BC Place which would have suited the co-hosts who were top of Group B as it stood, the Swiss moved leapfrogged them only 40 seconds into the second half when Ruben Vargas finished off a flowing move and fire home.
A second from Johan Mamzambi just before the hour mark seemed to put Switzerland firmly on their way to top spot, but substitute Promise David slid home to make it 2-1 with 15 minutes remaining.
The victory sees Switzerland go through as group winners on seven points and therefore earn a more favourable round of 32 tie against a third-place finisher.
Canada – who finish on four points – join co-hosts Mexico and USA in the round of 32, but crucially they missed the chance to continue with home advantage in Vancouver, with the Canucks now set to travel to Los Angeles to play the runners-up of Group A, which is South Korea as it stands.
Tale of two halves as first half lacks quality
The first big chance went the way of the Swiss as a brilliant ball from Ricardo Rodriquez found Breel Embolo with the just the keeper to beat, but the striker shot straight at Maxime Crepeau before Jonathan Mamzambi’s follow-up was blocked and the hosts were able to clear.
Cyle Larin was then unable convert a one-on-one up the other end as he opted to take the ball round the goalkeeper, which he got all wrong before the offside flag was eventually raised.
Larin got the first opportunity after the hydration break too, racing onto a throughball before opening his body up and firing at goal but his effort was too easy for Gregor Kobel to collect.
Another ball was played up to Embolo to try and gather inside the box, resulting in a penalty shout to be waved away after a tussle with a Canadian defender.
Embolo then won a free-kick in a dangerous position but Granit Xhaka blazed the ball over – which seemed to sum up the quality that had been lacking from both sides up to that moment.
The best move of the game from the hosts followed as they manouvred the ball to Ali Ahmed on the left side of the edge of the box, but the Norwich man failed to trouble Kobel with his shot. Shortly after, a sliced Jonathan David effort flew well wide.
After a fairly poor first half, the game burst into life just 40 seconds after the break when an Embolo cross from the right found Vargas, who smashed the ball in off the post to put the Swiss top of Group B as it stood.
Canada came out of their low block to try and get back into the game and it resulted in more space upcoming up for Embolo to exploit, with their second coming on the counter following a missed Larin chance.
Embolo twisted and turned before slipping in Mamzambi whose shot squirmed through Crepeau as the Swiss put themselves firmly in the driving seat to win the group – and noticeably dampen the noise inside BC Place.
Promise David sets up nervy finish
A rare chance fell to David in the box but his effort on the turn but Nico Elvedi got down to superbly block the shot – but momentum was slowly building for the hosts as they looked to find a way back into the game.
And with 15 minutes left on the clock, substitute David slid home to halve the deficit after a wonderful touch inside and then cross from Nathan Saliba to reinvigour the hosts and set up a tense finish.
One goal for Canada would see them climb back to top spot and the hosts looked to determined to find it, with the big chance they needed falling to Derek Cornelius who couldn’t get enough contact to guide a lovely floated cross in.
Promise David had another chance from a corner but he could only flick a header into the willing arms of Kobel with Switzerland clinging on in added time.
But the big chance fell to Alistair Johnstone from a cross from the left but his header back across goal was read by Kobel, before the Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper just about collected a loose ball moments later to hold on for the points – and the crucial advantage in the knockouts.
