Very proud of this team for everything we’ve achieved together. We didn't get the results we wanted at the World Cup, but the future for football in this country is bright. Thank you to all the travelling support for coming all the way to Qatar to support us every step of the way. pic.twitter.com/BvLZqRcgF0
— Alphonso Davies (@AlphonsoDavies) December 1, 2022
Canada scored 2 goals in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a giant step from scoring 0 goals in 1986. The Canadian team had a -5 goal differential in 1986 (0-5) and 2022 (2-7).
John Herdman, the Canada coach, had his "eff Croatia" moment, which might have hurt in the lopsided loss 4-1 to Croatia. The 1-0 loss to Belgium and 2-1 loss to Morocco were close enough to win but not close enough.
The Alphonso Davies header early in the Croatia match gave Canada its first ever lead in the World Cup. That didn't last long.
Nayef Aguerd scored the other Canadian goal late in the first half Thursday against Morocco. There wasn't a celebration after the goal. Captain Atiba Hutchinson's header off a corner hit the crossbar, which could have tied that game. Alistair Johnston sailed a header just over the bar.
Canada was technically the second team eliminated from the tournament, following the host country Qatar. Croatia and Morocco advanced out of Group F, leaving behind Canada and Belgium.
The penalty not called on Belgium just before the Belgians scored the only goal. The wasted opportunities by Canada in the first half of that opening match. The mistakes in the first half that led to the Morocco goals. The disagreement over the handshake after the Croatia match. These were learning chances for the 2022 Canadian men's team in the World Cup.
Though Canada wanted a better result, maybe even a tie, the momentum of a World Cup appearance was geared toward 2026, when Canada, along with the United States and Mexico, would host the 2026 World Cup.
That isn't much of a consolation at the moment for a team that showed a lot of promise. A completely healthy Canadian team would have made more of a difference but most countries had injuries of note.
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The Canadian women's team in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup will play Australia (co-host), Ireland, and Nigeria in Group B. The women's team has made 8 World Cup appearances since its debut in 1995. The team's best result was 4th in 2003. The women's team is the defending gold medal champions from the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Twitter capture: @AlphonsoDavies
photo credit: @CanadaSoccerEN
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