Canada unable to grab points at World Cup, Morocco and Croatia advance
Another incomplete efficiency for Canada on the World Cup. But additionally a rousing late surge that fell simply brief in a 2-1 loss to a gifted Moroccan facet.
As within the two earlier defeats on the event, there have been some moments to savour and a few to overlook. The Canadian males go dwelling wiser and with some extra followers, if not wins, after a 36-year absence from the soccer showcase.
“It’s been the first time in a long time of being here,” Canada coach John Herdman said. “We’d like to have been here longer, that’s for sure. But we’ve enjoyed the ride.”
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There have been bumps alongside the way in which Thursday in a raucous and loud Al Thumama Stadium. And the Canadians might be disillusioned in the way in which they fell behind.
Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri scored for No. 22 Morocco, which took benefit of horrendous Canadian defending to guide 2-0 after 23 minutes. Canada acquired an Nayef Aguerd personal purpose to chop the margin to 2-1 on the break.
The Forty first-ranked Canadians gave the ball away at will and have been second-best to the pacey, opportunistic Atlas Lions, whose counter-attack had Canada wobbling within the first half.
Herdman switched pitchside from no jacket to Canada tracksuit prime to swimsuit jacket as he tried to discover a profitable mixture on and off the sector. But there was little circulate to the Canadian assault till he started making substitutions on the hour mark.
That sparked a spell of Canada stress with Morocco barely holding on. The Canadians got here oh so shut within the 71st minute when substitute Atiba Hutchinson’s header off a nook hit the crossbar and bounced untouched to the bottom however didn’t fairly get all the way in which over the goal-line.
Hutchinson, in his a hundred and first look for Canada, held his head in disbelief as Moroccan followers behind the purpose exhaled.
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, born in Montreal however raised in Morocco, virtually misplaced the deal with on the ball within the 87th minute however held on to stop catastrophe and the Atlas Lions survived 4 minutes of stoppage time — with Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan arising for a nook as followers roared their sides on.
The Canadians end the event with zero factors, having beforehand misplaced 1-0 to No. 2 Belgium and 4-1 to No. 12 Croatia.
And whereas the Canadians earned kudos for his or her displaying in opposition to Belgium and Alphonso Davies scored Canada’s first-ever purpose on the males’s event within the Croatia sport, Canada has now misplaced its first six World Cup matches — the third group within the historical past of the event to take action after Mexico (which misplaced its first 9 outings) and El Salvador (six).
Canada additionally went 0-3-0 in 1986 in Mexico, dropping 1-0 to France and 2-0 to each Hungary and the Soviet Union.
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For the Canadian males, the runway now begins to a house World Cup with Canada, Mexico and the U.S. co-hosting an expanded 48-team event in 2026.
The Moroccans nonetheless have some soccer to play right here, flooding the sector on the ultimate whistle, having secured their place on the prime of Group F and a berth within the spherical of 16.
Croatia additionally moved on after a 0-0 draw with Belgium within the different Group F match, which kicked off concurrently 25 kilometres to the northwest at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan.
Morocco (2-0-1, seven factors) gained the group, two factors forward of Croatia (1-0-2). Coach Roberto Martinez introduced he was stepping down after Belgium (1-1-1, 4 factors) completed third and didn’t advance.
For the primary time on the event, the loud and proud Canadian followers met their match within the Moroccan supporters.
Fans from each international locations turned up the quantity from the get-go, making for a pulsating ambiance. Attendance was introduced at 43,102.
The trendy venue, which opened in October 2021, is designed to copy the ‘gahfiya’, a conventional woven cap worn by males and boys throughout the Middle East and Arab world.
Morocco began with a 16-pass sequence from the kickoff, leading to a cross by the Canadian penalty field. It acquired worse for Canada after that.
After scoring 68 seconds into the sport in opposition to Croatia final outing, it was Canada that had the disastrous begin this time after defender Steven Vitoria mis-hit an tried backpass within the fourth minute.
Borjan got here out of his penalty field with En-Nesyri steaming in direction of him. But as an alternative of booting the ball to security, Borjan appeared caught in two minds on whether or not to cross or clear. Instead the ball squirted ahead straight to Ziyech, who looped it into the purpose from distance as Borjan desperately tried to race again to his goal-line.
Borjan put his arms on his hips and turned away in disgust as FIFA president Gianni Infantino provided a bemused smile from his field.
“I think that first goal rattled us,” mentioned Herdman. “Just a tough moment to take so early. You feel the intensity of the environment. They came out blood boiling. You really did feel their intensity.”
En-Nesyri doubled the lead within the twenty third minute after a protracted ball from Paris Saint-Germain star fullback Achraf Hakimi cut up the Canadian defence. The Sevilla ahead outpaced Vitoria and Kamal Miller, controlling the ball together with his left foot and beat a diving Borjan below the arm with a low shot from his proper.
“We battled for a interval,” Herdman mentioned. “I think we were on the ropes for periods in the first 20-odd minutes but we came back, we adapted. I think we showed that resilience to get through that tough moment. And we were bending but we didn’t break. We pushed through.”
Sam Adekugbe threw Canada a lifeline within the fortieth minute, beating a defender down the left flank and placing a ball in on purpose that deflected off Aguerd’s outstretched foot previous Bounou.
Morocco tied Croatia 0-0 earlier than upsetting Belgium 2-0 and went into Thursday’s sport figuring out a win or a draw would enable to to advance.
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Herdman made 4 modifications to his beginning 11, revamping his midfield within the course of with Adekugbe, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Jonathan Osorio and Junior Hoilett coming in for Hutchinson, Stephen Eustaquio, Richie Laryea and Jonathan David.
Eustaquio (hamstring) was an harm concern earlier than the match. Borjan captained Canada in Hutchinson’s absence.
Herdman despatched on Hutchinson, David and Ismael Kone within the sixtieth minute in a bid to spark the comeback. Laryea adopted 5 minutes later with David Wotherspoon coming into the sport within the 76th.
Morocco had seven makes an attempt on purpose to Canada’s 5, and put two photographs on course, scoring on each, in comparison with none for the Canadians, who had six corners to Morocco’s two.
Morocco improved to 4-9-6 all-time on the World Cup, shifting into the knockout spherical for the second time.
Canada was in search of its first win over the Atlas Lions, having misplaced twice and drawn as soon as in earlier conferences. Morocco gained 4-0 the final time they met, in October 2016 in Marrakech.
The Canadians have gained simply considered one of their final seven outings in opposition to African groups (1-4-2).
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