DOHA, Qatar | Canada have one last game to play before heading home and while it’s meaningless to them, it’s not insignificant. The Canadians want to collect at least the first point in their history at the World Cup. Here’s what they need to do to get there.
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be calm
Canada was often clumsy around the opposing net, too feverish to want to score, which caused a lot of technical waste. If the Canadians manage to keep their cool, they could cause damage in the Moroccan box.
Put on caps
As this is the first World Cup held in the Arab world, representatives from Arabic-speaking countries are very numerous. Moroccans are no exception. Thumama Stadium will be very noisy tonight so Canadians will have to ignore the noise. But as John Herdman said in a press conference, his players faced over 60,000 fans at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, so that should be fine.
Replace Eustaquio
The Reds are expected to play without Stephen Eustaquio, who left the last game with a thigh injury. The FC Porto midfielder is the binder of this team, we will have to find someone to replace him without affecting the fluidity of the game. There are good candidates, like Ismaël Koné, Samuel Piette, Jonathan Osorio or Mark-Anthony Kaye .
To have guts
The Canadians showed a lot of guts, even audacity, in their first two games. They did not hesitate to press two teams much better ranked than them and it almost worked against the Belgians. You have to keep this courage until the end and above all keep your head held high.
stay proud
It’s not because we are eliminated that we have to give up. We can count on this selection not to approach this meeting softly. There is a lot of pride in this group and after Davies’ goal against Croatia, it’s time to collect a first point at the World Cup. Come on, Canada!
Play for honor
Canada scored their first goal at the World Cup. He will now try to collect at least a first point.
In principle, the Canadians have nothing more to lose since they are eliminated. And yet, we can also say that they still have everything to gain because they could leave Qatar with a first point and, why not, a first victory in their match against Morocco tonight.
“We wanted to be the first team to score a goal, the first team to win a game, but we missed our goal of being the first team to get through the group stage,” coach John Herdman said.
“This is a real opportunity for our players to take a step forward. We have come a long way since we arrived here. We are going to stick to our identity in order to be able to write a page of history”, he however insisted.
Harm to Morocco
Canada has the opportunity to play spoilsport since with a victory, it would most likely deprive Morocco of a match in the round of 16 and it knows it.
Herdman has a knack for that little smirk, a kind of confidence that borders on the edge of arrogance but never really crosses it. Except once after the match against Belgium.
“We are here for those occasions. We want to live meaningful moments. We will enjoy every second of this match against Morocco.”
Many Moroccans will fill the Thumama stadium, but that does not change much in the eyes of Herdman, who has seen others.
“We are used to playing in front of hostile crowds. We had 60,000 spectators against Mexico.”
Relive the goal
Despite a 4-1 loss to Croatia in Game 2 on Sunday, the Canadians experienced strong emotions when Alphonso Davies scored the first-ever goal for the men’s World Cup.
Herdman used these images to instill a healthy dose of confidence in his men. And no doubt also to prevent the gloom of elimination from taking hold of them.
“When we took over this program, we thought it was the kind of moment that would unite a generation, which would have an influence on the country. To attend this moment of the side lines, it was great, ”he agreed.
Alongside him, veteran defender Steven Vitoria is a man of few words. He did, however, sum up what this group viewing had the effect of.
“We are the first to do several things in this tournament. We know what it means to our group and our country and it’s special.
Delicate subject
With one last game to play and a team eliminated, Herdman may have to think about giving playing time to some of his men who have had little or no contact with the pitch.
But he still wants to declare a victory at customs when he gets home so it’s a bit of a balancing act he has to do.
“It’s the hardest part of my job. I have built real relationships with players and their families.
“There are very difficult discussions. Players who want minutes have told me that if the team can get their first victory, they are willing to sacrifice playing time.
Nevertheless, Stephen Eustaquio, injured in the hamstring, should not play, so it is at least one man who will have to be replaced. We suggest the name of Samuel Piette, just in passing.
Reproaches
John Herdman was also questioned about the criticisms addressed to him by Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic after Sunday’s match.
He mentioned that Herdman had not gone to hug him after the meeting and that it was unprofessional.
Herdman kept his British phlegm to explain the thing.
“We shook hands before the game and the process is no different after the game. I shook hands with Roberto Martinez and those of the referees [après le match contre la Belgique].
When I turned around, he was no longer on the touchline, he had gone to celebrate with his players. We were caught in a whirlwind, there were flashes and we eventually have to move on.
Herdman wants to stay at the helm of the team
The end of a cycle often brings changes to a national team. Players leave and sometimes even the coach. But not John Herdman.
Still, it took two questions about his future to reveal what his plans would be after the World Cup.
“I really try to stay in the present moment. After eleven very beautiful years in this country that I adore, I am very excited thinking of 2026.
Well, there is a hint, but admit that the answer is not firm and unambiguous. He was made clearer when another colleague asked him if he would be in office in 2026.
“Absolutely. I’ve been a trailblazer for a long time and you won’t find anyone as passionate as I am about this program, its players or its staff. You won’t find anyone more passionate about the growth of this country.”
bright future
We can think that the best is yet to come for this rather young team which will not lose a ton of veterans in the next four years leading up to the 2026 tournament which will be presented in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
There will be departures, of course, like Atiba Hutchinson and no doubt Steven Vitoria. At 35, he knows that it was probably his only participation in the World Cup. He is however confident that the team can only aim for an upward trajectory over the next few years because they showed a lot of confidence and attitude in Doha.
“I want to be very clear, the future of this team is bright. We could have gotten here by parking the bus in front of our net waiting to see what was going to happen.
“No, we were defiant, we attacked and we dared against good teams, against the number two in the world. I’m very excited about the growth of this team.”
Milestone completed
This is also what retains John Herdman who believes that his team has taken a huge step forward in the last week and a half.
And that was precisely the plan to move this team forward so that the youngsters had some World Cup experience before the tournament came home.
“We have taken a big step here. My favorite moment happened after the game against Belgium when Thierry Henry came to me to tell me that we shouldn’t have lost that game.
So there aren’t many ingredients missing in Canada to be more successful on the world stage and John Herdman knows exactly what needs improvement.
“We just need a bit more capacity in the final third. Is it time or experience that we need? Time will tell us.”
soccer nation
In the months leading up to this World Cup, there was much talk about the importance of instilling a football culture in Canada, a country whose primary passion is still hockey.
With this passage on the biggest world stage, John Herdman believes that this step has been taken. He has heard of schools where classes have been interrupted for students to watch games. It’s a sign that doesn’t lie for him.
“We came here to unite the country. I think people are hurt by the fact that we go home too early. We would have liked to be here ten or fifteen days longer.
“The children who saw the games at school will continue to believe that we are a football country, we went there, because they saw the match against Belgium and they saw Alphonso [Davies] to mark.”
So yes, we can say that the future looks bright for Canadian soccer.