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VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Put your seat belts on, and get ready. That was the message from Canada head coach Jesse Marsch on the eve of Thursday’s World Cup clash with Qatar — widely billed as the biggest match in the history of the men’s national team.
Marsch’s instruction came in response to a question on the form of star striker Jonathan David, whose underwhelming debut domestic season at Juventus was followed up by an unconvincing display in Canada’s opening match of the tournament against Bosnia-Herzegovina, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
“Jonathan has scored a heck of a lot of goals, right?” Marsch reported. “Of course, in the biggest games we want him to score and he will, and he has, and he won’t stop. He’s not done scoring, people.”
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Less than 24 hours later, those words became a self-fulfilling prophecy as David netted a hat trick in a 6-0 victory that could prove to be a watershed moment for Canadian soccer.
When the full-time whistle heralded the end of a match that had witnessed a deluge of goals and two red cards on Qatar players, Marsch pumped his fists in the air and thumped his chest as “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes blared from the stadium speakers. Across the pitch, left back Alphonso Davies — an unused substitute against Qatar as his return from a hamstring injury is carefully managed — completed the customary postmatch cool down.
Widely regarded as the greatest male player in Canada’s history, Davies had an instrumental role in bringing the World Cup to North America when he spoke before the FIFA Congress in Moscow in 2018 and implored its members to accept the continent’s bid to co-host the tournament. Eight years later, there was a sense of poetry about his return to the stadium where he first came onto the scene as a 15-year-old for the Vancouver Whitecaps, even as he watched Thursday’s game from the sideline.
It was one of those occasions that fans in attendance will one day recall and say, “I was there.” Decades from now, supporters of the national team will look at the triumph over Qatar — Canada’s first in a World Cup — as the day that changed the course of the sport across the nation, one that saw a new generation of fans take soccer into their hearts.
Canada’s 6-0 win over Qatar was their first win in a men’s FIFA World Cup. (Photo by Ercin Erturk/Anadolu via Getty Images)”When I came here, the vision was more than just this World Cup,” Marsch reported after the match.”Obviously, a big carrot was the fact that it was a home World Cup, but it was also to change the sport in the country, to drive interest, to drive expertise … to educate and to create a pathway for the future and to create an identity for what Canadian soccer could be. And you can say and do all the right things, but you need moments like today. You need moments where everybody remembers what happened. No one will forget this and no Canadian will forget this day.”In truth, the party in Vancouver started long before a ball was even kicked at BC Place Vancouver. In the hours before kickoff, Canada fans marched toward the stadium by the thousands, a frenzied blur of waving flags, hoarse voices and red smoke.STREAM ESPN FC DAILY ON ESPN+Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the newest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).
Mercifully, the raucous home crowd did not have to wait long to celebrate, with Cyle Larin tapping in David’s spilled shot inside 16 minutes. In doing so, Larin — who also netted the all-important equalizer in the team’s first game — became the first Canadian man to score two World Cup goals.
It is a proud record, though its significance was quickly usurped by David’s efforts, with Canada’s all-time leading goal scorer first volleying past Mahmoud Abunada before doubling his tally with a finish from close range on the stroke of halftime, just minutes after Qatar’s Homam Ahmed was dismissed for a clumsy last-man challenge on the edge of the penalty area.
By netting a third goal in second-half stoppage time, David joined Argentina’s Lionel Messi in an special group of players to have already scored a hat trick at this summer’s tournament.
Of course, the euphoria for the co-hosts was somewhat dampened when midfielder Ismaël Koné was stretchered off in the second half following a challenge by Assim Madibo, who promptly saw his yellow card upgraded to a red after intervention by the VAR. One of the pillars of this Canadian team, Koné’s expected absence with a broken leg is a huge physical and psychological blow.
“It was right in front of us and everyone could hear the bone snap,” Marsch reported. “So your heart goes out to him and everybody’s a little shaken by the whole experience because of the nature of the injury and also because Ismael is a big part of the heart of our team. It will be a big loss for us.”
The profound nature of that loss was demonstrated by Nathan Saliba’s somber celebration when, after replacing Koné in the second half, the midfielder held his teammate’s shirt aloft to mark his excellent free kick. Canada soon added a fifth when Mohammad Al Mannai sliced Jacob Shaffelburg’s effort into the back of his own net.
For Marsch’s side, the numbers make for quite remarkable reading. According to Opta, the team’s 97 touches in the attacking box against Qatar is 26 more than anyone has managed in a World Cup match on record (since 1966 — Germany 71 vs. Costa Rica in 2022). Canada also became the first team from outside of Europe and South America to score five or more goals in a single game at the tournament.
Each noteworthy statistic represents a small fragment of history — fragments that combine to forge an extraordinary and enduring landmark on Canada’s sporting landscape. The co-hosts now have one foot in the round of 32, with a draw against Switzerland next week enough to ensure they top Group B and therefore play their first knockout game in Vancouver.
There are, of course, no guarantees, but Canada look poised to take their country on a memorable journey. For the fans watching, all that remains is to follow Marsch’s advice.
Put your seat belts on and get ready.
Certainly, it looks as if it could be one almighty ride.
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