With the clear 6:0 (3:0) win against Qatar, Canada took a big step towards the round of 16 finals. However, the victory was overshadowed by the serious injury to Canadian Ismaël Koné.
Cyle Larin (16th) and Jonathan David (29th/45th + 3) sent the Vancouver stadium into a collective frenzy of joy with their goals. Prime Minister Mark Carney was also part of the huge party. The game was already decided at halftime, especially since Qatar’s Homam Ahmed had seen red after an emergency stop (34′).
But the mood was suddenly dampened: After a serious foul by Assim Madibo, Koné apparently suffered at least a broken shin and was taken out of the stadium on a stretcher. The culprit Madibo saw the second dismissal (55th).
After the break, Nathan Saliba also got on the scoresheet – 4-0 (64th). An own goal in front of Mohamed Al-Mannai (75th) and the third goal from David (90th + 2) ensured the final score was well deserved. With four points now, the co-host of the World Cup, where star player Alphonso Davies was rested, has the best chance of surviving the preliminary round.
Canada coach Marsch: “We love Ismaël”
Canada’s national coach Jesse Marsch’s thoughts were of course with his injured protégé. “Ismaël is not perfect, but that’s what we love him for,” said the American, who promised that Koné would get “the best doctors” to return as quickly as possible.
When I came, I wanted to take the team to a higher level. And we saw the result today.
But Marsch also made no secret of the fact that he is proud of his team: “When I came, I wanted to take the team to a higher level. And we saw the result today. We electrified the 40 million Canadians. The 50,000 who were here today were very lucky.”
Canada escapes the cold shower,…
The arena was firmly in Canadian hands – this became clear at the latest when the Canadian anthem was sung, when only the Qatari fan block remained silent. But the hosts were lucky that Edmilson Junior didn’t kill the mood after just a few seconds. The Canadian defense was not yet mentally on the pitch when a Qatari cross sailed into the penalty area. The man with Brazilian roots hit the ball freely in front of the goal but didn’t hit the ball properly (1st).
… and then takes Qatar apart
In the best football weather in British Columbia with 22 degrees in the afternoon, the home team dominated their opponents. When David volleyed, keeper Mahmud Abunada was still in the near corner (7′). Nine minutes later, right-back Alistan Johnston made a strong impact on the side. After his cross, David was there again, this time with a drop kick. The shot was hard, but actually too central. Abunada still let the ball bounce forward unluckily: Larin was there and scored to make it 1-0.
Canada’s best Jonathan David celebrates with Stephen Eustaquio.
The Qataris totally lost track. The 2-0 came in the 29th minute: David, the best man in the early stages, rewarded himself with his first World Cup goal. And in the 32nd minute the Qataris were outnumbered. Initially, referee Cristian Garay from Chile decided on a penalty and a yellow card after Ahmed fouled Tajon Buchanan. According to video evidence, the location of the foul was moved just outside the penalty area, but Ahmed was shown a red card.
The Qataris were completely overwhelmed, but initially successfully defended themselves against the third goal. But in added time the time had come. First Larin asserted himself robustly in the duel. His header was missed by Abunada. But David consistently followed up and pushed the ball over the line – 3-0 (45th + 3).
Despite the shock: Canada fills half a dozen
Seven minutes after the restart, Madibo fouled with serious consequences. However, Garay again needed help from the video assistants. At first he only showed yellow, but then corrected his decision. Koné was treated on the pitch for longer and his leg was stabilized before he was taken to hospital.
A remarkable free kick from Saliba, who came on for Koné, made it 4-0. The Joker dedicated the goal to his injured teammate by holding up his jersey (64′).
There was a strange atmosphere in the stadium. Despite the clear score, no one really felt like partying. But the Canadian players continued to push forward. Buchanan’s shot might not have gone in, but Al Mannai intervened one meter in front of the goal and maneuvered the ball into his own net with his shin to make it 0-5 (75′).
But even after that, Canada still didn’t have enough. However, nine Qataris were not in a position to put up any serious resistance. In the second minute of stoppage time, Canada’s David put the finishing touches with his third goal of the day – and had the fans cheering again at the end.
Can Canada defend first place?
Canada is leading Group B for the time being. However, the decision about group victory will be made in the direct duel with Switzerland against Switzerland on Wednesday (9 p.m. CEST) in Vancouver. Canada would also be the first to play its game in the round of 16 at home. Qatar meets Bosnia-Herzegovina in Seattle at the same time.
Thanks to the point win against Switzerland in the first game, Qatar has not yet been eliminated. “It was a turbulent game for many different reasons. We have to recover physically and mentally before the next game,” explained Qatar national coach Julen Lopetegui. “We didn’t get our place at the World Cup for free. And we still have a chance.”