World Cup: Cool Croatia consign Canada to the scrap heap
4-1 score line puts Canada out of the Soccer World Cup 2022
CANADA’S Alphonso Davies has been touted as one of the world’s new rising stars.
Well, he certainly rose high to head home his country’s first ever World Cup goal in just the 68th second of Sunday’s Group F encounter against Croatia.
Canada started off like a house on fire, but that would be their only shot of a half that soon saw them running for the extinguishers as Croatia turned on the heat.
And there would be no letting up after that, as the final 4-1 score line put Canada out of the World Cup with one group game still to be played.
Canada relied on speed, which can be a good asset, but it was all accelerator and no brakes as they didn’t ‘know when to hold it’, as Kenny Rogers would say – very much like hyperactive children.
Calmness and accuracy were the hallmarks of Croatia’s play as they carved huge holes through the Canadian defence to win going away.
The pressure counted just after the half hour as Andrej Kramaric ghosted into a gap, pulled wide and hit the far corner 1-1.
It didn’t take long for number two thanks to the persistence of Jurannovic, who smuggled the ball to Livaja, who picked his spot and parked the ball (2-1).
The Luka Modric mentality was being echoed by others in the team as the Croats played a free-flowing, expressive, incisive and rewarding style.
By the time the break came, they were looking like a team that could win this World Cup.
Canada had a couple of so-so chances after the break but Croatia were in a class of their own and could have had a half dozen but for some good goalkeeping from Milan Borjan.
But you can only fight the rising flood waters for so long, and following a five-man passing move, finally Perisic to Kramaric, who hit it hard and low inside the far post in the 69th minute for 3-1 and his brace.
He nearly had another soon after when he got the tip of his boot to a cross; any more purchase on the ball would have slid it into the net.
The fourth goal was the result of an error as substitute Miller miskicked and Croatia pounced: Orsic to Majer, the latter easily dispatching the gift-wrapped goal.
