(Doha) There are moral defeats. This was not one. It was a cruel loss, 1-0, against an elite team, ranked second in the world. It pinches especially since the Canadians dominated the Belgians for almost the entire game.
“We can all be proud, but at the same time we are frustrated,” revealed defender Alistair Johnston. “We feel like we left some points on the pitch. »
Canada had its chances. A bunch of chances, even. His best came early in the game, in the ninth minute, when Yannick Carrasco got his hands on the ball in the box. Penalty shot, said the referee, after consulting the video replay. The stadium, two-thirds full of Canadian fans, burst into flames.
It was Alphonso Davies who showed up in the box to take the shot. Everyone knew what was at stake. At the tip of his foot was potentially Canada’s first ever World Cup goal. Big pressure. Especially for a player who, like Davies, is not a penalty shooter. At Bayern Munich, where he plays as a full-back, that task falls to others. So in his entire professional career, Davies had only scored two goals – on two occasions. The first, against Curaçao, a small island in the West Indies, in a 4-0 victory. The second, against the Cayman Islands, in an 11-0 massacre. Not quite the same context as here.
Eleven meters in front of him was Thibaut Courtois, one of the best goalkeepers in the world. At 6ft 7in, the Belgian covers long and wide. When he opens his arms, it looks like an Antonov-225 about to take off. “It looked like he was 8 feet! “Alistair Johnston was surprised. But surprisingly, in career Courtois is not superior to other elite keepers. Historically, shooters convert 75% of penalty shots. When Courtois is their opponent, this rate increases to 80%. So despite the pressure, Davies had a statistical advantage.
PHOTO KAI PFAFFENBACH, REUTERS
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois making the save on Canada’s penalty shot
The wait was long. I didn’t start the clock, but it felt like almost a minute. In his net, at the other end of the field, the Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan, nervous, had his back to the game. The whole stadium got up. Davies, carried by the crowd, rushed. He kept the ball on the ground, on his left side. Exactly where Courtois stretched his full length. Masterful stop. There was then confusion between the Canadians on the rebound, the ball went out of bounds, and the threat ended.
After the fact, several supporters and commentators blamed the shooter’s choice. Why prefer Alphonso Davies to Jonathan David, a natural striker? It’s too easy to rewrite the diary the next morning. Perhaps, for example, one should consider the fact that the Belgians definitely had more data on David’s preferences (9-for-12 in career) than Davies’ (2-for-2).
After the game, Davies refused to stop in the mixed zone to speak to print reporters. In a television interview, he remained calm. “It happens,” he told TSN. You pick a side. The guard guesses it. He makes the stop. Or you get lucky, and you put it in. Alistair Johnston still revealed to us that Davies was “disappointed” (bummed). “He is mentally strong. He had a good performance. Missing this penalty shot will tire him a bit, but it must be said that Courtois made a great save. »
PHOTO JOHN SIBLEY, REUTERS
Lois Openda and Kamal Miller
Also, it wasn’t like Davies was the first star to miss a penalty shot in a major tournament. It happens even to the best. Lionel Messi missed one in the Copa America final. Roberto Baggio, the best player of his time, also sent one into the clouds during the World Cup final in 1994. “Penalties are only missed by those who have the courage to take them”, had he declared later, with accuracy and wisdom.
Don’t worry, Alphonso Davies will get over it.
This penalty was also like the rest of the game. Canada were constantly threatening, but they ran into an elite goaltender and missed their best chances. Belgium took advantage of their best chance, after Michy Batshuayi recovered a ball behind the Canadian defenders to score the only goal of the game.
Among the Belgians, we did not celebrate too much. Nobody was satisfied with the collective performance. “Canada played better than us,” head coach Roberto Martinez politely conceded on television. In a press conference, a little later, he showed himself to be a lot stiffer towards his flock.
“Technically, it was our worst game in a major tournament. »
PHOTO KAI PFAFFENBACH, REUTERS
Tobias Alderweireld, Kevin De Bruyne and coach Roberto Martinez
Gulp.
“But it’s not that bad, he tempered, since in the end, we won. A win, when you play badly, doesn’t just happen by chance. We were a bit lucky, even getting a clean sheet, thanks in particular to the penalty saved by Thibaut Courtois. I have a lot of respect for this team from Canada. She showed a great dynamic, and aggressiveness. [Les Canadiens] played a great game. We gave them the match they wanted. »
Michy Batsyuashi still confided that Martinez had given his players a soap during the intermission. “He was not happy. He cried. He told us to keep the ball, to temporize and to put our tempo in this game. »
Canada’s head coach, John Herdman, was in better spirits despite the loss.
“I’m proud of our performance,” he said. Except you need three points [une victoire] in the first game. We had the opportunity to take the lead in our group. It was our mission. We missed it. But I’m proud. Our guys had the pressure on their shoulders to prove they belong at this level of play.”
“Now, he added, we are going to EFFE Croatia. It’s that simple. »
Yes, he really said EFFE. Like the letter.
It must have been short for pheasant.