Canadavs
QatarSome nights the scoreline tells the whole story before you even get to the details. Canada 6, Qatar 0 — at home, at a World Cup, in front of 52,497 people at BC Place — is one of those nights. This was not a close game that got away. Qatar were outclassed from the opening whistle, then outmanned by the hour mark, and Canada made them pay for both.
Cyle Larin got things moving in the 16th minute, finishing to put Canada ahead in front of a crowd that was already loud and only got louder. The atmosphere had barely settled when Jonathan David doubled it in the 29th — and then, right on the stroke of halftime, David struck again in the third minute of stoppage time to make it 3-0 at the break. Qué noche for the Lille striker. Three goals, two scorers, and Qatar already facing a mountain before the second half even began.
They also faced it with ten men. Homam Ahmed had been sent off in the 33rd minute — right in the stretch when Canada were pressing hardest — and that red card fundamentally changed whatever tactical shape Qatar had come in with. Going into the break three down and a man short, en qué clavo se encontraba Qatar.
The second half was closer to an exhibition. Assim Madibo received a second red for Qatar in the 53rd minute, and now it was eleven against nine. Canada's 78.8% possession and 32 shots tell you everything about how the rest of the evening went. Nathan Saliba added the fourth in the 64th minute. Mohamed Manai turned the ball into his own net in the 75th to make it five. And Jonathan David, who was not done, completed his hat-trick in the 90th minute — assisted by Saliba — to seal the sixth.
Qatar managed two shots across the entire match. Zero on target. Their goalkeeper made four saves to prevent an even more lopsided final score. Canada's keeper was never called upon once.
A few numbers worth sitting with:
- Possession: Canada 78.8%, Qatar 21.2%
- Shots: Canada 32, Qatar 2
- Corners: Canada 19, Qatar 1
- Passes: Canada 566 (90% accuracy), Qatar 164 (60% accuracy)
Our pre-match read had Canada as 76% favorites, and they left absolutely no doubt.
Derek Cornelius picked up a yellow for Canada in the 9th minute — the one blemish on an otherwise clean night for the hosts — and Ahmed Fathy added a yellow for Qatar late in the second half, by which point the result had long since been decided.
Canada will feel that this is exactly the kind of statement performance a host nation needed at their own World Cup. Jonathan David looks like a man who arrived ready for this tournament, and the patojo Saliba — goal and assist on the night — announced himself on the biggest stage. The question now is whether Canada can carry this form into their next group match, because after a night like this, expectations just got a lot heavier. Cabal, that's the price of a six-goal win.
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