Nathan Saliba obvious next man up to replace Ismaël Koné in decisive Group B match against Switzerland

Before Canada’s men began Sunday’s training session on another glorious day in Vancouver, head coach Jesse Marsch stood in the sun with his hands on Nathan Saliba’s shoulders. The World Cup makes it a little too easy to turn ordinary moments into dramatic ones, but the way Marsch spoke to his young midfielder, his hands might as well have been swords.

In the considerable absence of Ismaël Koné, Saliba has been anointed.

He is the obvious next man up, both logically and emotionally. After Koné’s horrific departure from last week’s otherwise spectacular 6-0 win over Qatar — after a stricken Saliba saw his childhood friend wheeled away on a stretcher with a shattered leg — he drew himself up and put in one of the great shifts of his emergent career.

Seven minutes after he stepped onto the emotion-soaked pitch, Canada was awarded a free kick a few yards outside Qatar’s crowded box.

Saliba stood beside the dead ball with his hands on his hips, surrounded by more celebrated teammates: all-time leading scorer Jonathan David, with two more goals already in his accounts; captain Stephen Eustáquio; hometown hero Ali Ahmed.

The four debated what they might do with the precious set piece. They were up 3-0 at the time, but if they converted the free kick, Canada would eclipse Group B rival Switzerland on goal difference and give itself a serious chance to enter the Round of 32 as a top seed, needing only a draw against the Swiss on Wednesday.

“I should take this,” Saliba said.

That was all his teammates needed to hear. Eustáquio tapped him on the head, and everyone else fell away.

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