Ismaël Koné was more than just a vibes guy and locker room DJ. He was, arguably, Canada’s
most important player and had been enjoying a breakout tournament that could have set the
24-year-old up for big things. Instead, Marsch has to find his replacement, with little room for
error.
In training this week, Marsch — and captain Alphonso Davies, who has yet to play in the
tournament – took Nathan Saliba, Jonathan Osorio, Mathieu Choiniére and Niko Sigur aside,
seemingly talking them through the potential of starting on Wednesday. Naturally, after scoring a
free-kick against Qatar, Saliba is the favorite to start; however, there are questions about his
ability to maintain focus in such a high-pressure environment.
Koné’s standout skillsets are his dribbling in tight spaces, his ability to drive into space, and his
vision to break defensive lines. For dribbling, Saliba is the closest comparable, but he
completed just 1.15 progressive runs per 90, falling behind both Choiniére and Sigur in that
category.
Choiniére’s defensive instincts and ability to press could be useful to clog up midfield off the
bench, and Sigur may be an option at fullback if Canada opts to rest Alistair Johnston, who
would miss the round of 32 if he picks up another yellow card.
With those options, it likely means Saliba will start alongside Stephen Eustàquio in midfield, with
one of Choiniére or Sigur coming off the bench.
Things could change, though, as questions swirl around Eustàquio’s status, after the
vice-captain missed the first 15 minutes of practice on Sunday, for a reason Canada Soccer
refused to disclose, before he returned Monday. If he’s missing, expect the pivot of Saliba and
one of Sigur or Choiniere.
