Former Impact and national team midfielder says the team has set a tone for 2026, when Canada will be a co-host of soccer's grandest spectacle.
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While there is disappointment over Canada’s early elimination from the knockout stage at soccer’s World Cup, Patrice Bernier believes strides were made and the program and its players will be stronger for the experience.
“I know everybody wanted them to be the surprise of the tournament in terms of maybe going to the second round,” Bernier said. “I think they’re still a surprise. They caught everybody off-guard. It was a very good performance against Belgium. Everybody said they should have come out with at least a draw or should have won. They won that aspect in terms of respect and credibility.
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“They played two very good games. It put Canada on the map in terms of respect. I’m very proud in terms of what has been shown. Canada now has set a bar. It has to maintain or surpass that for the next World Cup.”
Canada, playing in its first World Cup since 1986, won’t advance to the Round of 16 after a 1-0 loss to No. 2-ranked Belgium and a 4-1 setback against 12th-ranked Croatia. The side is preparing for its final match Thursday against Morocco (10 a.m., TSN, CTV, RDS).
The Canadian men made history when Alphonso Davies — denied on an early penalty against Belgium — scored the country’s first World Cup goal. And it hopes to leave Qatar with the nation’s first result, a victory or draw, against Morocco, which is ranked No. 22. Canada is No. 41.
“You want to set a tone, saying the next World Cup won’t be about scoring a goal or getting a point,” said Bernier, a former midfielder with the Montreal Impact and a longtime mainstay with Canada’s national team, where he earned 50 caps while scoring twice. “It’ll be about winning games and getting to the next round.
“They’ll want to finish strong, knowing the best way to finish is to say we beat Morocco … and, had we drawn a point against Belgium, we could have gone to the next round. It was attainable. It wasn’t just a great show of participation, it also set the tone. Now, you have to count us as part of your elite group. This isn’t just a one-off. We want to be here, World Cup after World Cup. We want to be part of the elite group and be in the top 25.”
Bernier, who served as a TVA studio analyst last season for CF Montréal games, said he was surprised CFM midfielder Samuel Piette, known for his defensive prowess, didn’t come off the bench against Croatia, which remained poised, exposed Canada’s inexperience and took the lead with two late first-half goals.
“I thought his skill set fit into that game,” Bernier said. “You needed some grittiness … somebody who’s good defensively and at ball-winning. I can’t say I’m disappointed, but Piette could have been put into that game. He could have played in that game and could have helped.”
On the other hand, Bernier had high praise for 20-year-old CFM attacking midfielder Ismaël Koné, who came off the bench in both matches, attempting to infuse offence.
“Two years ago, he was an amateur playing in (St-Laurent),” Bernier said. “Now, he’s a professional — an international player with the pedigree of playing in the World Cup. He’ll potentially be the best player Quebec has had, if everything goes his way.”
Bernier believes Canada’s future at this level can only flourish from this experience, knowing the majority of players should return in 2026, when the country co-hosts the competition with the U.S. and Mexico. All three nations are expected to receive automatic qualifications.
“John Herdman (Canada’s head coach) has established a new culture and we’re setting the bar high,” Bernier said. “There’s a ceiling we believe we can reach or surpass. Now, they know what it takes, the details, little margins of mistakes or errors you can’t afford. These are the things you bring to the next level of your game.”
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
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