Canada draws level with Bosnia in second half of co-host’s World Cup opener

By Ben Church, Isaac Tellechea

Toronto (CNN) — Canada concluded its opening World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina with a 1-1 draw.

Bosnia was the better team in the first half but ran out of legs by the end. That, and some smart substitutions for Canada, saw the co-host get back into the tie, but it just didn’t have time to find a winner.

Cyle Larin almost scored a last-gasp goal in the dying seconds as well.

A draw isn’t the end of the world for either team. The dream of making the knockout stages remains very much on, especially in the expanded tournament. For those unfamiliar, it may seem like an unsatisfying ending, but in the group stage, it’s all about advancing to the knockout round.

World Cup matches can only end in a draw in the group stage. There is no extra time. If there is no winner by the end of injury time, the match simply ends.

Draws still affect the tournament standings, as both teams receive one point for a match ending in a draw. Meanwhile, victories give a team three points and a team receives no points for a loss.

Under the tournament’s new expanded format, Canada and Bosnia have made sure that they’ll remain competitive in the remaining group stage matches. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 32. Additionally, the eight third-place teams with the best scores will also advance.

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