Belgium and Final Match Draw Secures Round of 16 Spot
Canada Scores First World Cup Goal... Hero is Alphonso Davies
Croatia secured their first win at the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup, taking a big step toward advancing to the round of 16. They only need a draw against Belgium in the final group stage match on the 2nd of next month to secure their spot. Meanwhile, Canada scored their historic first World Cup goal but were eliminated early in the group stage.
On the 28th (Korean time), Canada lost 1-4 to Croatia in their second Group F match held at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar. Despite an early goal by Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) just 67 seconds into the game, they conceded four consecutive goals. Failing to earn points once again, Canada became the second team to be eliminated from the group stage after the host nation Qatar.
Canada has now suffered five consecutive defeats in World Cup finals. Having participated in World Cup qualifiers since the 1958 Sweden tournament, Canada had only qualified once before this tournament, at the 1986 Mexico World Cup. At that time, they lost all three matches without scoring any goals or earning points. This tournament, their first in 36 years, followed a similar pattern. They lost 0-1 to Belgium in their first match and suffered a heavy defeat in this game. Morocco’s win over Belgium raised their points to 4, meaning even if Canada earns 3 points in their next match, they cannot advance to the round of 16. However, there was some positive news: Davies scored Canada’s historic first World Cup goal. Tajon Buchanan (Club Brugge) delivered a cross from the right flank, which Davies headed in from the penalty area.
Croatia, continuously targeting Canada’s vulnerable back spaces and mounting a counterattack, scored the equalizer in the 36th minute of the first half. Andrej Kramari? (Hoffenheim) received a penetrating pass from Ivan Peri?i? (Tottenham) on the left side of the penalty area and struck the ball with his left foot into the lower corner of the opposite goalpost. Riding the momentum, Croatia added another goal in the 44th minute. Marco Livaja (Split), waiting for an opportunity near the penalty arc, connected a sharp ground shot from a pass by Josip Juranovi? (Celtic), shaking the net.
Canada switched to a strategy to maximize their attacking power in the second half but could not handle the loosened midfield. In the 25th minute of the second half, they failed to stop the combination play between Peri?i? and Kramari? again, and just before the final whistle, they conceded an additional goal on a counterattack by Lovro Majer (Stade Rennais). The assist for the last goal was credited to substitute Miroslav Or?i? (Dinamo Zagreb), a player who had previously played in the K League under the registered name 'Orsha'.
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