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Canada knocked out of Qatar World Cup

Croatia
Canada knocked out of Qatar World Cup. Photo/ The Indian Express.
  • Canada were knocked out of Qatar World Cup on Sunday evening after suffering a 4-1 loss to 2018 finalists Croatia.
  • Alphonso Davies opened the scoring for Canada before Andrej Kramaric, Marko Livaja, and Mislav Orsic scored for Croatia. 

Canada were knocked out of Qatar World Cup on Sunday evening after suffering a 4-1 loss to 2018 finalists Croatia.

Andrej Kramaric scored a brace in the thrilling match played at Khalifa International Stadium, Doha.

Croatia are now top of Group F on goal difference from Morocco, who earlier stunned Belgium with a 2-0 win. 

Despite Alphonso Davies scoring his nation’s first World Cup goal in just 67 seconds, they were eventually eliminated from the tournament with a game to go.

Alphonso Davies

Canada have been knocked out despite Alphonso Davies scoring 67 seconds after the start of the match. Photo/ CTV News.

Canada and Croatia went into the match with both teams aiming to collect the three points. The two teams had been involved in a war of words before. 

Canada boss John Herdman had made remarks after their loss to Belgium that didn’t go well with Croatia. The Englishman said they would “eff Croatia”. 

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic responded by saying that Herdman’s words were not a “sign of respect”. 

Barely two minutes into the match, Canada looked to stick to their word as Davies found the back of the net. This was a big moment for the Bayern Munich defender, who has an inspiring story

Croatia did not panic after conceding; instead, they started to attack furiously. The 2018 World Cup finalists created numerous chances and found the back of the net through Andrej Kramaric. However, the goal did not stand because Kramaric was offside. 

Kramaric eventually got into the score sheet in the 36th minute as he pulled an equalizer for his side. His goal was assisted by Ivan Perisic. 

Eight minutes later, troubled Canada conceded another goal, and this time it was Marko Livaja celebrating. 

Substitute Jonathan Osorio came close to equalizing for Canada a few minutes after the start of the second half, but his shot was inches wide. 

Andrej Kramaric nearly scored afterwards, but Milan Borjan ensured he kept Canada’s hope alive. The talented goalkeeper also made brilliant saves to deny Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic. 

However, Borjan was not in a position to save his country in the 70th minute as Kramaric eventually got his second of the net. 

The job was eventually finished in the dying minutes of the game by Mislav Orsic. Canada were eliminated from the World Cup by the experienced Croatian side at the Khalifa International Stadium. 

Croatia must face Belgium on Thursday before progressing to the next round of this FIFA World Cup full of surprises.

Croatia

Croatia will face Belgium in their last fixture of the group. Photo/ The Indian Express.

We can’t ignore Canada’s spirited fight in this World Cup, even if they have been knocked out. Well, we can all agree that the future is bright for the talented young Canadians. 

Abraham Odhiambo is an avid sports fan who loves to write about football, boxing and wrestling. He's a big supporter of Manchester United. He's pursuing a bachelor's degree in Communication and Media at Egerton University.

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