Wayne Rooney has found himself at odds with former World Cup final assistant referee Darren Cann over an incident involving Bosnia-Herzegovina goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj, while also expressing annoyance at Canada manager Jesse Marsch's decision to hold a team talk in full public view after the World Cup clash in Toronto.
Speaking on the BBC after Canada's 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rooney argued that Vasilj should have been sent off for his challenge on Canada's Tani Oluwaseyi. Cann, who officiated at the 2010 World Cup final, disagreed with Rooney's assessment, though the precise nature of the challenge was not detailed.
“Wayne Rooney clashes with Darren Cann over a goalkeeper red card and criticises Jesse Marsch's public team talk after Canada's 1-1 draw.”
The draw itself was a dramatic affair. Jovo Lukić had headed Bosnia in front on 21 minutes, but Cyle Larin equalised 12 minutes from the end to salvage a point for the co-hosts in Group B. Rooney felt the result was a fair reflection, saying: "I thought it was a good game and I thought Canada were really good and did enough to win the game, but I think both teams will take a point."
But it was Marsch's conduct after the final whistle that truly irked the former England star. The Canadian chief ordered his players into a huddle and delivered an intense debrief in full view of the TV cameras. "You look at Jesse Marsch talking to the team - I actually don't like it, I like them in the dressing room giving the messages," Rooney said. He added: "But you can see how intense he is and engaged he is, all his players are. Jesse Marsch is trying give his players. You can see they are a young team and have energy in the team, and Jesse is giving them that energy to get something out of the game."
Marsch had earlier held another briefing during a hydration break before the equaliser. After the game, he said: "We felt like we had them. You know like we were starting to push the game, the subs came on and made a big difference. We could see that they were fading." He admitted disappointment with the first half, saying: "I felt we were tentative - we didn't play as aggressively as I would have liked." But he insisted: "We still have everything in hand and that's a big point for us to keep ourselves in the group."
The contrasting views of two football figures - Rooney and Cann on the pitch incident, and Rooney versus Marsch's methods - highlight the tensions and debates surrounding a World Cup group that remains wide open.