FIFA World Cup 2022: Croatia 4-1 Canada: Russia finalists hit form to eliminate inexperienced entertainers

Davies
put
Canada
ahead
as
he
struck
just
68
seconds
into
the
game.
It
was
a
historic
moment
for
Canada
as
Davies’ scored
Canada’s
first-ever
goal
in
the
World
Cup.
After
Davies
scored
the
fastest
goal
of
the
tournament
so
far,
Croatia
got
back
into
the
groove
and
didn’t
take
their
foot
of
the
peddle.

As
Croatia
and
Canada
held
equal
psosession
in
the
first
half,
Andrej
Kramaric
gave
his
side
the
much-needed
boost
with
the
equaliser
on
the
36th
minute.
Less
than
eight
minutes
from
the
equaliser,
Marko
Livaja
made
it
2-1
going
into
halftime.

1

2277818

Following
the
break,
Croatia
dominated
the
proceedings
as
the
game
slipped
away
from
Canada
quickly.
Kramaric
scored
his
second
of
the
match
on
the
70th
minute,
while
Lovro
Majer
struck
in
the
injury
time
(90+4′)
to
walk
away
with
a
comfortable
win.

Following
the
match,
Canada
were
eliminated
from
the
World
Cup
after
just
two
matches
despite
again
playing
their
part
in
an
entertaining
encounter.

Back
at
the
finals
after
36
years
away,
Canada
thrilled
in
their
opening
game
against
Belgium,
only
to
be
narrowly
beaten.

It
looked
to
be
a
similar
story
again
on
Sunday,
although
Croatia
were
ultimately
deserving
winners
after
two
goals
from
Andrej
Kramaric
and
one
each
from
Marko
Livaja
and
Lovro
Majer
overturned
an
early
Canada
lead.

Alphonso
Davies’ opener
was
his
country’s
first
goal
at
a
World
Cup,
but
still
it
was
a
fifth
defeat
from
five
on
the
global
stage,
ending
their
hopes
of
progression
as
Croatia
join
Morocco
on
four
points
in
Group
F.

That
wait
for
a
breakthrough
goal
extended
only
67
seconds
into
Canada’s
fifth
finals
match,
with
Davies
meeting
Tajon
Buchanan’s
cross
to
head
the
fastest
goal
of
the
tournament
so
far.

Croatia
soon
took
control,
however,
and
after
Milan
Borjan
twice
denied
Livaja
either
side
of
a
disallowed
Kramaric
goal,
two
goals
ahead
of
half-time
turned
the
game
on
its
head.

Borjan
had
no
answer
to
Kramaric,
who
squeezed
in
another
finish,
and
Livaja
got
his
goal
with
a
low
effort
from
the
edge
of
the
box.

John
Herdman’s
men
came
out
for
the
second
half
with
renewed
optimism
and
went
close
through
both
substitute
Jonathan
Osorio
and
Jonathan
David,
but
Kramaric
continued
to
threaten
and
clinically
picked
out
the
bottom-left
corner
to
settle
it.

There
was
time
for
Croatia
to
add
further
gloss
as
poor
Kamal
Miller
miscontrolled
on
halfway
and
gave
Mislav
Orsic
a
clear
run
to
advance
and
unselfishly
square
to
Majer.

What
does
it
mean?
Canada
prove
unsuccessful
entertainers

Canada’s
tennis
team
clinched
Davis
Cup
glory
just
before
kick-off,
and
their
countrymen
did
not
have
to
wait
long
to
celebrate
again.
After
50
shots
without
success
across
their
prior
four
World
Cup
games,
their
51st
found
the
net
through
Davies.

But
Croatia
were
themselves
more
effective
in
attack
than
Belgium
had
been
and
recovered
from
that
setback
to
win
comfortably,
picking
holes
in
the
Canada
defence
with
consummate
ease.

Kramaric
leads
comeback

Kramaric
showed
his
class
in
scoring
with
two
of
five
attempts,
displaying
the
sort
of
ruthless
touch
in
front
of
goal
that
would
have
delivered
Canada
victory
against
Belgium,
if
not
in
this
game.

This
was
the
second
match
at
this
tournament
to
see
a
team
concede
first
but
lead
before
half-time,
the
other
seeing
Croatia’s
2018
final
conquerors
France
rally
past
Australia.

Such
a
swift
turnaround
did
not
occur
once
over
the
previous
five
World
Cups
combined.

Centurion
looks
his
age

It
is
rare
Luka
Modric,
at
37,
is
some
way
short
of
being
the
oldest
man
in
a
midfield
battle,
but
Atiba
Hutchinson,
at
39,
is
the
second-oldest
outfield
player
to
play
at
a
World
Cup.

While
Hutchinson
also
became
the
first
player
to
appear
100
times
for
Canada
on
Sunday,
all
that
experience
could
not
make
up
for
a
lack
of
pace
that
gave
Croatia
the
run
of
the
midfield.

Key
Opta
Facts

–
Abdelhamid
Sabiri’s
opener
was
Morocco’s
first
ever
free-kick
goal
at
the
World
Cup.
Furthermore,
it
was
the
first
direct
free-kick
goal
by
any
nation
at
this
World
Cup.

–
Belgium
have
lost
seven
of
their
last
19
matches
in
all
competitions
(W9
D3),
as
many
defeats
as
they
had
suffered
across
their
previous
74
games
combined
(W57
D10).

–
Morocco’s
victory
over
Belgium
is
their
first
win
in
five
games
at
the
World
Cup
(D2
L2).
Meanwhile,
it
is
the
first
time
that
they
have
recorded
consecutive
clean
sheets
at
the
World
Cup
since
1986.

–
This
was
the
first
time
that
Belgium
have
been
defeated
in
the
group
stage
in
14
such
games
at
the
World
Cup
(W8
D5),
while
this
loss
against
Morocco
ends
an
eight-game
win
streak
in
the
groups.

What’s
next?

Canada
are
out
but
can
still
impact
the
rest
of
the
group,
facing
Morocco
as
Croatia
play
Belgium
in
a
winner-takes-all
meeting
on
Thursday.

Source:
OPTA