Don't forget Canada: Why opening draw shows this is their World Cup too - ESPN

TORONTO — Never mind the fact that Canada didn't win, or that it wasn't the very first game of the tournament. History was made in Toronto on Friday: Canada hosted a men's World Cup match for the first time, drawing 1-1 with Bosnia-Herzegovina. They earned their first point, too.

For a long time in this game, Bosnia spoiled the party. The visitors earned an early 1-0 lead and held it until the 79th minute when Cyle Larin's equalizer sparked an incredible atmosphere inside the Toronto Stadium, ending Canada's run of losing all six of their past World Cup games dating back to 1986.

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As the curse lifted at the seventh attempt, this day will live long in the memory of local fans who have strongly embraced this World Cup. First, they marched to their stadium in their red-filled droves, and they harnessed that energy once inside. Every generation was represented, including tiny babies who will be told one day they were there when Canada hosted the World Cup. There will be plenty to tell.

They can tell of the old-school feel of the game: Both teams played in classic 4-4-2 formations, playing with much intensity but lacking in quality (only 73% pass completion for Canada, 61% for Bosnia). They'll remind each other of the prematch performances from Canadian musical icons Michael Bublé and Alanis Morissette, who sang crooning prematch anthems like «Bring It Home.» And they'll remember the resilient second-half performance that got Canada's tournament off to a steady start.

«I feel I didn't do enough to get them ready for the first half,» Canada boss Jesse Marsch said afterward, «but then the response that we showed in the second half and some of the messages that I gave at halftime helped.»

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The best moment was Larin's