Canada lost 2-1 to Switzerland at the World Cup on Wednesday and had to settle for second place in Group B.
Ruben Vargas and Johan Manzambi scored early in the second half as Switzerland came flying out of the break.
Substitute Promise David cut the deficit in half with his first touch of the game in the 76th minute, but Canada couldn't find the second goal it needed to earn a draw and top the group despite applying intense pressure in the final minutes. David, Alistair Johnston, and Derek Cornelius all came close - Johnston had the best chance with a stoppage-time header - as Canada swarmed Switzerland for the final 10 minutes of the contest in Vancouver.
Despite the loss, Canada will play its first-ever knockout match at a men's World Cup on June 28 in Los Angeles (3 p.m. ET). That contest will raise the curtain on the round of 32, giving Canada just four days to prepare.
The Canadians will take on the second-place finisher from Group A, which will be one of South Korea, Czechia, or South Africa. That group - and Canada's matchup - will be determined later Wednesday when Group A concludes play.
Had Jesse Marsch's men managed to find a late equalizer and earn a dramatic draw, they would've stayed at home in Vancouver for their last-32 match. Instead, their campaign will now take them to the United States for the first time in this summer's tournament.
"We just (wanted) to continue the energy that's taken place here in Canada," Marsch told TSN's Matthew Scianitti after the match, admitting that he was "disappointed" the team couldn't get the result needed to remain in Vancouver.
Marsch said he was "proud" of the players' response after going down 2-0.
"I know our team has heart. ... We're going to focus on the positives. We're going to focus on the response (in the second half)," he added.
Johnston echoed those sentiments about the team's fight while also acknowledging Canada conceded "cheap" goals in the second stanza due to uncharacteristic sluggishness after the halftime interval.
Both Swiss markers came off defensive breakdowns for Canada.
Switzerland, meanwhile, will take on a third-place finisher in the round of 32. This is the fourth successive World Cup appearance in which the Swiss, ranked No. 17 in the world by FIFA, have qualified for the knockout rounds. It's the first time they've won their World Cup group since 2006.
Elsewhere in Group A, Bosnia and Herzegovina is in a strong position to advance as one of the best third-place finishers after defeating Qatar 3-1 in Wednesday's concurrent fixture.
Canada was once again without captain and star player Alphonso Davies, who is yet to feature in the tournament due to an ailing hamstring.
Marsch admitted after the Switzerland match that Davies was never going to feature in the group stage, and was simply being used as a "decoy" all along, according to Scianitti.
Davies will be ready for the next match, Marsch said.
