For all the promises, the avowals of support and the cheerleading from coach Jesse Marsch that frankly was starting to feel a little forced, Canada needed more. They needed a first-ever win in World Cup play. They needed goals in bunches, and would-be lethal striker Jonathan David to be part of it. They needed words backed by actions, something tangible to back the optimism.
In short: They needed just what unfolded in the first 45 minutes of Thursday's lopsided match against Qatar. The most important half of soccer in the history of the men's national program turned out to be its best. And that was just the prelude of what would become an historic and record-setting 6-0 destruction of their feeble opponent.
Led by David, who ended his scoring drought in the most magnificent of ways, netted a hat trick to pace the incredible Canadian attack. A dominating 3-0 score at the break all but assured Canada of the victory and virtually guaranteed advancement to the Round of 32. It also established them as the favourites to win Group B, needing only a draw against Switzerland next week to do so.
But at least as important, Thursday's win and the dynamic, dominating fashion in which it was achieved will ratchet the national love-in for this team to unprecedented levels. With captain Alphonso Davies seemingly nearing a return from his hamstring injury, everything is coming up Canada.
Why Domination Was So Important for Canada
It was a tour de force, considering that in the entirety of its seven-game World Cup existence prior to Thursday, Canada had scored just three goals combined. Now they not only have a share of the Group B lead with Switzerland, who defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 earlier on Wednesday, but they now hold the edge in goal differential. A draw against the Swiss next week would secure top spot in the Group and keep Canada at home in Vancouver for its Round of 32 match.
More importantly, it allowed them to gain momentum by dominating a clearly inferior opponent and one that was reduced to 10 men, then nine. TSN's game analyst Steven Caldwell noted, "It's as easy a World Cup game as you could ever get. Dominating against an opponent not in the same class as Canada." Play-by-play man Luke Wileman added, "It's literally a training drill right now. It's fantasy football for Canada."
Welcome to the World Cup, Jonathan David
Of all the brilliance shown by Canada in the team's historic first World Cup win, the performance by the embattled striker felt like an ice-breaker for bigger things to come. The leading goal-scorer in Canadian men's history had been in a bad way for months, including a miss from close-in during the 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina last week. But a hat trick? What a story he became in a tour-de-force performance.
Those two first-half goals — one in the 29th minute, the second in stoppage time — ignited the sellout crowd in Vancouver and all of the Canadian players on the pitch. Suddenly a team desperate for goals couldn't stop scoring. Who knows how much confidence that will instil in a World Cup host country suddenly feeling it is riding momentum? There were two more to come in the second half including an own goal as Qatar was reduced to nine men after losing a pair to red cards. According to TSN, the previous time a host nation had a World Cup hat trick was by England's Geoff Hurst in 1966.
Marsch had said of David: "Since I've been here, he's been dangerous in every attacking category out there. Of course in the bigger games we want him to score and he will, and he has, and he won't stop. He's not done scoring, people, so just put your seat belts on and get ready."
Rallying for Ismael Kone
TSN rightfully was respectful in not immediately airing the replay of the gruesome challenge from Qatar's Assim Madibo that effectively ended the World Cup for Canada's invaluable midfielder, Ismael Kone, early in the second half. The audio from the parabolic microphones at field level told the story, however. "His leg is broken," a Canadian player could be heard saying as clear as the voices from the broadcast booth.
For all that had gone right for Canada to that point, all the cause for celebration, losing a player so central to the team's midfield presence is a huge blow. "It's a shame," said a clearly shaken Caldwell. "Someone with so much ability, so much quality. Sadly for him his World Cup is over." Marsch especially was clearly shaken by the play as was Qatari player Madibo.
And how about the emotional moment when Nathan Saliba, in as Kone's replacement, scored Canada's fourth goal? Saliba then went to the Canadian sideline and grabbed Kone's jersey, holding it high for the fired-up Vancouver crowd.
Quick Kicks
- The six-goal margin was the biggest by a CONCACAF team in tournament history.
- In one afternoon of brilliance, David became the all-time leading goal scorer in Canadian World Cup history, scoring three on five shots directed on net. He did so in a week where his struggles had replaced the injury status of Alphonso Davies as the dominant narrative around the team.
- One goal behind David is Cyle Larin, who netted the opener Thursday to go with his big goal to secure the draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina last week.
- Canada also became the first nation outside of Europe or South America to score more than five goals in a World Cup match.
