MONTREAL—A defeated dressing room can make for a tough crowd. However, Prime Minister Mark Carney looked to be relishing the challenge as he went back into campaign mode and tried to raise the spirits of the Canadian men’s soccer team Friday night.

A first home defeat under Jesse Marsch took a lot of the air out of a return to Montreal for the first time in eight years as a gritty Australia side prevailed 1-0. With the hype and the hope rising in increasing waves eight months out from a first FIFA men’s World Cup on Canadian soil, the loss also halted a little of the momentum Marsch’s team picked up as it has risen to an all-time high of 26th in the world rankings.

Carney was on hand alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino at Stade Saputo for a friendly that was tight and tetch

See Full Page