Game On: Sports News, Highlights & Commentary
- Morocco beat Canada 3-0 and became the first team to reach the quarter-finals.
- Achraf Hakimi and Azzedine Ounahi combined for a set-piece opener; Ounahi (82) and Soufiane Rahimi (90+8) added goals.
- Canada pressed and matched Morocco early, but after the break Morocco's superior quality decided the tie.
- Canada leave with positives: first finals win, group qualification and a first knockout victory to build on.
Key events
Reaction and analysis
Jonathan Wilson was at Houston Stadium, and his report is in. Here it is! Congratulations to Morocco, commiserations to Canada, and thank you all for reading this MBM. Next up, Paraguay-France, to find out who the Moroccans will play in the last eight. The World Cup never stops!
Jesse Marsch, eh, tells it as he sees it in his on-pitch interview. “What a privilege our fans have had to root a team on like this … that goes after the game … that doesn’t [gesticulates to folk off screen, either his own players or Morocco] play defensive … shows that they can be better, right? … of course we have to find ways to succeed … but what a great team … I’d rather be us than them … as good as Morocco is, I’d rather be us … I’m really proud of our guys … we went after the game … they’re hurting right now, but my goodness, I couldn’t be prouder … I thank Canada!”
Post-match postbag. “Even though the scoreline at the 2022 World Cup when Canada last played Morocco was tighter than today, Canada played really well and has come a long way in four years. I am really happy how well Canada did at the tournament” – Bruce Cooper (“a sad yet happy Canadian”)
“It’s always strange when a team is defined by an absence, France without Zidane in 2002 springs to mind. Canada looked a team transformed when Alphonso Davies came on in their last game, and it’s a real shame that he wasn’t fit enough to play today. By all reasonable measures, Canada had a good tournament, but they’ll still always be haunted by what could’ve been if Davies had been fit” – Kári Tulinius
“I think the Canadian team need a quick swig of Sortilège. A Canadian army neighbour introduced us to it about ten years ago. It’s a cure-all. For about two hours, but that’s plenty. Essentially it’s a Quebec-based blend of Canadian whisky and pure maple syrup. In Canadian French, it is known as eau de vie d’érable (spirit of maple)” – Kimberley Thonger
“The world’s worst team for titular redundancy is a baseball team: The Los Angeles Angels, literally ‘The the angels angels’” – Alistair Connor
“Oh Canada” – Niall Mullen
Once Canadian pain subsides, the co-hosts will look back on a successfully thrown party. Tick those boxes again: their first win at a finals; qualifying from the groups for the first time; a knockout game won at their very first attempt. That’s not a bad haul for a developing footballing nation; there’s plenty to build on going forward. But today they were undone by a better side, with better players, with more tournament know-how. No shame in that, and at least they battled to the very end. Jesse Marsch swats an intrusive TV camera away in irritation as he gathers his players into a huddle, but his mood will surely get better once the sting wears off and he takes stock.
The result is more than fair, though the scoreline is a little bit harsh on Canada. The 30th-ranked team in the world went toe to toe with the sixth best in the first half. Jesse Marsch’s side pressed hard and flustered Morocco; Tani Oluwaseyi had the best chance during that period. But quality will out, and after the break, when Morocco took it up a gear, Canada couldn’t cope. Achraf Hakimi and Azzedine Ounahi combined for a glorious set-piece opener, Ounahi adroitly finished off a whirlwind counter, as did Soufiane Rahimi in stoppage time. Three lovely goals, the only downside being the muscle injury suffered by the in-form Ismael Saibari in the first half. Should they face France next week, as everyone expects, they’ll give them a game.
FULL TIME: Canada 0-3 Morocco
Morocco are the first team to reach the quarters, and will face either France or Paraguay in Foxborough next Thursday. The co-hosts are out.
GOAL! Canada 0-3 Morocco (Rahimi 90+8)
It’s a done deal now all right! Morocco snaffle possession and spring forward on a three-on-one break. Diaz slips Rahimi into the box, down the inside-left channel. He draws Crepeau and slots a left-footed shot across the keeper and into the bottom right. The 2022 semi-finalists are on the march again!
90 min +6: Schaffelberg isn’t taking this lying down, and draws a free kick from Hakimi, just to the left of the D. The set piece is shifted to Nelson, whose drive is off target. The buzzing Schaffelberg hits a cross-cum-shot that’s cleared, and eventually Nelson slices out for a goal kick. If there was any doubt – a goal there might have caused Morocco some late concern – it’s a done deal now.
90 min +5: Shaffelberg, who was busy after coming on against Qatar, wins a corner, then from that sends a ball in from the left that Crepeau, on walkabout again, nearly meets. Morocco clear their lines.
90 min +3: Nelson busies himself down the left and wins a corner. The set piece is sent into the mixer … and Bono punches clear under pressure from his opposite number Crepeau, who has clearly decided it’s Foxborough or bust. Crepeau fouls Bono, and that’s more time gone.
90 min +2: David goes down on the edge of the Moroccan box, looking for a free kick he’s never going to get. El Mourabet swishing him out of the way with ease.
90 min: There will be eight minutes of stoppage time.
88 min: Bono takes a whack upside the head from Promise while dealing with a high free kick sent into the mixer. The whistle goes, and time ticks down on Canada.
87 min: Morocco make a double change: El Mourabet and Saadane come on for Ounahi and Diop. So do Canada: Osario and Nelson replacing Buchanan and Sigur.
86 min: Johnston crosses from the right. Easy for Bono, who bowls out to Ounahi on the right. Canada seriously light at the back. Ounahi loops a perfect cross onto the head of Rahimi, ten yards out. Rahimi guides a header towards the top right, Crepeau rooted to the spot and out of the game … but the ball crashes off the underside of the bar and stays out. That would have been another peach of a goal. Moroccan cream rising to the top now.
84 min: Morocco haven’t played particularly well. At all. But they’ve scored two delicious goals. They’re pretty good at the old tournament football.
GOAL! Canada 0-2 Morocco (Ounahi 82)
De Fugerolles tries a defence-splitting pass down the right that’s easily intercepted by Talbi. He strides forward down the middle. Morocco are four on two. Talbi feeds Diaz in the box on the right. Diaz draws the defenders and cuts back inside for Ounahi, who opens his body and sidefoots a powerful curler into the top right. A lovely counter! That should be that.
81 min: That was better from Canada … but the subs were sent on, and there’s still no Davies. Presumably a fitness setback? It would be a bit weird otherwise.
79 min: Canada replace Laryea and Ahmed with Promise and Shaffelberg. Then when play restarts, Buchanan has a dig from distance. A low drive towards the bottom left. Bono tips around the post, and nothing comes from the resulting corner.
78 min: David tries a cheeky flip into the top-left corner, hoping to catch Bono out of position. He might have done so, had he got the free kick on target, but the ball floats harmlessly over the bar.
77 min: VAR’s had a look, and the decision stands. A free kick inside the Morocco D, but just outside the box. The usual pre-set-piece prep is going on right now.
76 min: Sigur curls in from the right. Bono punches powerfully clear. Canada come back at Morocco, and Eustaquio thinks about shooting from the edge of the box. He’s pulled back by Amrabat, and the referee awards a free kick. Right on the edge. VAR will probably need to double check that’s not a penalty, because it looked really close.
75 min: Canada pass it around patiently … they’re not panicking yet.
73 min: Still no sign of Alphonso Davies. Jesse Marsch may need to break the emergency glass on that one sooner rather than later.
71 min: … and we begin again.
70 min: Hydration break postbag. “Morocco have looked like a team of footballers who can’t run and Canada like a team of athletes who can’t play football. Hence this thriller for the ages” – Niall Mullen
“Strange to see Bouaddi being taken off. I like Amrabat, but Bouaddi is so composed on the ball, reads the game so well, is always in the way. Morocco may gain muscle but is losing plenty of quality on the ball – and off it. I’m now wondering how long until a major team picks him up from Lille” – João André
“Leave it up to an EPL ref to absolutely ruin a World Cup match. Hope he is sent home after this to prepare for his 10 minute VAR checks in August” – Craig Rempel
“Michael Oliver is completely ruining this game, and reffing completely differently from every other official this tournament. Let them play!” – Matthias (salty in Montreal)
“I happen to think a red card or two would spice this game up a bit. C’mon Michael O!!!” – Joshua Reynolds
68 min … and that’s drinks. And snacks. Fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. Maple bacon corn snacks. (“The maple kind?!”) Khobez flatbread and zaalouk, made from aubergine and tomato. (He still wants the maple bacon. I’d go for the zaalouk myself, but fair’s fair, he’s a dog.)
67 min: Bono’s put to work now, though, Buchanan nearly latching onto a long ball down the middle, the keeper coming from his box to hack clear. Then seconds later, another ball down the middle, this time sent into the Canada penalty area. Bono clears, only for Larin to clatter him microseconds later. Another booking. It was a powerful challenge, but Larin was entitled to go for that. A free kick would have surely sufficed, but PGMOL gonna PGMOL.
65 min: Morocco seem pretty comfortable at the moment. Bono hasn’t had anything to do since the restart. Meanwhile my colleague Beau Dure adds more colour to this all-action thriller: “With the shot off the free kick, Morocco improved their xG from 0.02 to 0.09.”
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