FIFA World Cup: Canada looks to get result against Morocco before leaving Qatar

According to Opta, Canada is the third team to lose its first five World Cup matches, joining Mexico (which lost its first nine) and El Salvador (lost six).

Canadian defender Alistair Johnston knew something good was coming when he saw Tajon Buchanan launch his cross into the Croatian penalty box.

“We have a saying – we like to call it a ‘goal ball,’” said Johnston, a CF Montreal fullback/wingback who can deliver a fine cross in his own right.

“As soon as it leaves your foot, as the guy who’s put in the cross, you just know that ball’s got goal written all over it. As soon as it left his foot, I said that in my head – goal ball. And Fonzie dunked on it.

“What a moment. You could just feel the energy. I think if you checked everyone’s GPS, that was probably the top speed, the max speed ever reached from every single one of the players, getting over to that corner flag (to celebrate with goal-scorer Alphonso Davies). It was just a feeling of ‘Ah, we’ve finally done it. We’ve finally scored at the world’s biggest stage and we do belong.’

“Of course we would have liked the rest of the night to go a little bit better, but it was a special moment than none of us will forget any time soon.”

Davies goal – Canada’s first ever at the men’s World Cup – was the high point of the evening for Canada on Sunday at Khalifa International Stadium. No. 12 Croatia, runner-up to France four years ago in Russia, rallied with two goals late in the first half and added two more after the break for a 4-1 win that ended Canada’s hopes of advancing to the knockout round at the 32-team tournament.

Buchanan’s cross curled away from goal and was met by Davies’ head as the Bayern Munich star soared high above Croatian defender Josip Juranovic, ending Canada’s 36-year wait for a goal after being blanked in three straight games in its only other trip to the men’s soccer showcase in 1986.

The goal came 27 years after Helen Stoumbos scored Canada’s first ever-goal at the Women’s World Cup in a 3-2 loss to England in June 1995.