LIVE: Croatia Pulls Level With Canada After Davies’s Early Opener
Canada played well in defeat to Belgium, but its World Cup fate is on the line in Game 2 against the 2018 runner-up. Follow along here.
Canada put forth one of the more eye-opening performances in the first set of matches at the 2022 World Cup, but it could be eliminated from contention if it isn’t able to take at least a point off the 2018 runner-up.
Such are the fine margins in Qatar, where John Herdman’s side faces Croatia knowing that defeat will secure elimination with a game to spare in Group F. Entering Sunday’s affair, Canada had never won a game, nor had it scored a goal in a men’s World Cup, so despite all the plaudits the side earned for how it played in a 1–0 loss to Belgium, it will all be but consolation without the result to show for it.
Croatia comes in having been held to a 0–0 draw by Morocco in their opener, meaning Luka Modrić & Co. have all to play for at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan. Morocco is a surprise group leader after a 2–0 win over Belgium earlier Sunday, and a Croatia win would see the two side go to four points, leaving Canada without a way to the round of 16.
It took Canada absolutely no time at all to get started. Alphonso Davies capped a sequence that started with goalkeeper Milan Borjan by powerfully heading home the opening goal off Tajon Buchanan’s cross in the second minute. After missing a penalty kick vs. Belgium, that moment had to feel like vindication for the Bayern Munich star, and it backed up Herdman’s comments in the build-up to the match. He caused a bit of a stir—and got quite the response from a Croatian tabloid—when he claimed that Canada was going to “F Croatia” in the aftermath of his side’s defeat to Belgium, and based on the evidence, at least the start, he was not wrong.
At 68 seconds into the match, it was the fastest goal thus far at this World Cup, and the fastest in a group match in World Cup history since Clint Dempsey’s opener against Ghana in 2014 for the U.S. (29 seconds), according to Opta.
There can be a tendency to let up after such an emotional start and moment like that, but Canada remained on the front foot, conjuring a few more moments of danger and half chances as Croatia scrambled to get a foothold in the game over the opening 20 minutes.
Its best moment came in the 22nd minute, as Chelsea’s Mateo Kovačić slipped a pass through for Marko Livaja. All the forward could do was stick his foot out to try to stab it into goal, but Borjan was there to make the save.
Another warning shot came in the 26th minute, when Andrej Kramarić thought he had scored the equalizer, only for the flag to go up on what appeared to be a very tight call.
Livaja forced Borjan into action in the 36th minute, with the goalkeeper making a save from the forward’s sliding, close-range effort at the near post.
It felt like a Croatia goal was coming, and on the ensuing sequence after Borjan’s save, it indeed arrived. It was Kramarić, who was given entirely too much space in the box, beating Borjan from the opposite side, after Canada failed to completely clear the danger off the corner kick that had been taken following Livaja’s chance.
Follow along here for live updates and highlights of goals and key plays from throughout the match (refresh for most recent updates).
Here are the lineups for both teams:
Full World Cup Squads
Canada
GOALKEEPERS: Milan Borjan (Red Star Belgrade), James Pantemis (CF Montreal), Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United)
DEFENDERS: Sam Adekugbe (Hatayspor), Derek Cornelius (Panetolikos), Alistair Johnston (CF Montreal), Richie Laryea (Toronto FC), Kamal Miller (CF Montreal), Steven Vitoria (Chaves), Joel Waterman (CF Montreal)
MIDFIELDERS: Stephen Eustaquio (FC Porto), Liam Fraser (Deinze), Atiba Hutchinson (Besiktas), Mark-Anthony Kaye (Toronto FC), Ismael Kone (CF Montreal), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Samuel Piette (CF Montreal), David Wotherspoon (St. Johnstone FC)
FORWARDS: Tajon Buchanan (Club Brugge), Lucas Cavallini (Vancouver Whitecaps), Jonathan David (Lille), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Junior Hoilett (Reading), Cyle Larin (Club Brugge), Liam Millar (Basel), Ike Ugbo (Troyes)
Croatia
GOALKEEPERS: Ivo Grbić (Atlético Madrid), Ivica Ivušic (Osijek), Dominik Livaković (Dinamo Zagreb)
DEFENDERS: Borna Barišić (Rangers), Martin Erlić (Sassuolo), Joško Gvardiol (RB Leipzig), Josip Juranović (Celtic), Dejan Lovren (Zenit Saint Petersburg), Borna Sosa (Stuttgart), Josip Staničić (Bayern Munich), Josip Šutalo (Dinamo Zagreb), Domagoj Vida (AEK Athens)
MIDFIELDERS: Marcelo Brozović (Inter Milan), Kristijan Jakić (Eintracht Frankfurt), Mateo Kovačić (Chelsea), Lovro Majer (Rennes), Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), Mario Pašalić (Atalanta), Luka Sušić (Salzburg), Nikola Vlašić (Torino)
FORWARDS: Ante Budimir (Osasuna), Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim), Marko Livaja (Hajduk Split), Mislav Oršić (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivan Perišić (Tottenham), Bruno Petković (Dinamo Zagreb)