Davies makes history for Canada, but Croatia send them home early from World Cup with big win

AL RAYYAN, Qatar -- Canada are retired of the World Cup aft a 4-1 decision to Croatia astatine Khalifa International Stadium connected Sunday.

- Report: Croatia 4-1 Canada | News and features | World Cup schedule

Bayern Munich prima Alphonso Davies scored Canada's archetypal World Cup extremity aft conscionable 67 seconds, but Croatia staged an awesome comeback acknowledgment to 2 goals from Andrej Kramaric, different from Marko Livaja, and a precocious 4th from Lovro Majer to beryllium apical of Group F with 1 circular of games near to play. Croatia volition look to publication apical spot erstwhile they play Morocco but Canada volition bow retired aft their crippled against Belgium.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Post-match quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid Reaction

1. Canada get archetypal World Cup goal, but they're going location early

It started truthful good for Canada erstwhile Alphonso Davies got their first-ever men's nationalist squad extremity astatine a World Cup aft conscionable 67 seconds, but aft being gradually picked isolated by Croatia, they're going location early.

Canada are entertaining and matched 2 bully sides successful Belgium and Croatia for ample spells, yet they besides looked similar a squad playing successful their archetypal World Cup since 1986. It takes clip to get utilized to this level. After failing to people successful their lone erstwhile World Cup quality astatine Mexico 86, Davies sent the Canada fans chaotic successful their country of Khalifa International Stadium with the quickest extremity of the tourney truthful far, thumping a header successful from Tajon Buchanan's inch-perfect cross.

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But by half-time, the blocks of reddish shirts were slumped backmost successful their seats aft goals from Andrej Kramaric and Marko Livaja enactment Croatia 2-1 up. The introductions of Jonathan Osorio and Ismael Kone astatine the interruption gave Canada caller impetus, but erstwhile Kramaric got his 2nd connected 70 minutes, they knew they could commencement packing their bags. The 4th connected the interruption from substitute Lovro Majer added insult to injury.

Canada volition beryllium backmost successful 2026 astatine co-hosts, of course, portion Croatia's experienced halfway of Luka Modric, Dejan Lovren and Ivan Perisic volition beryllium plotting 1 past improbable run.

2. Croatia backmost successful their acquainted tourney role

Despite their singular tally to the World Cup last successful 2018, nary 1 truly knew what to expect of Croatia successful Qatar, but possibly that's conscionable however they similar it. They're a squad caught betwixt an ageing aureate procreation -- led by Modric -- and a question of caller endowment similar 20-year-old RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol, and it's made for immoderate inconsistent performances.

They proved they tin inactive lucifer anyone with a 1-0 triumph implicit France successful Paris successful June, but they were mediocre against Morocco successful their opening radical crippled and were chopped unfastened with easiness by Canada for Davies' aboriginal goal. Even during their tally to the last successful 2018, they needed penalties to bushed Denmark and Russia successful the knockout rounds.

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But adjacent with their evident deficiencies arsenic a squad -- peculiarly astatine the backmost -- they cognize precisely what it takes to advancement astatine large tournaments and if they flight from Group F, nary 1 is going to privation to look them successful the last-16. Their tally successful Russia was each astir uncovering a mode to get done and it mightiness beryllium the aforesaid successful Qatar. You've been warned.

3. Disappointment for Canada, but invaluable acquisition up of 2026

Canada were the amended squad against Belgium successful their opening crippled and were each implicit Croatia for the archetypal 20 minutes present and portion John Herdman's squad volition person won plentifulness of fans, they beryllium bottommost of Group F with 2 defeats from two.

In immoderate respects, it's singular they made it astatine each aft being ranked arsenic debased arsenic 122nd by FIFA not agelong aft the 2014 World Cup. But they volition person learned immoderate invaluable lessons up of 2026 erstwhile they volition stock hosting duties with the United States and Mexico. In Davies and David, successful particular, they person players with endowment and quality but to prosper astatine this level, you besides request acquisition and nous to negociate cardinal moments successful a game, which was possibly was they lacked during this World Cup campaign.

Croatia did good to minimise the harm erstwhile Canada were connected apical aboriginal on, but erstwhile it was Croatia's crook to enactment their ft down, Canada conceded doubly successful the last 10 minutes of the archetypal half. Had Canada been capable to instrumentality the dilatory things down and marque it to half-time astatine 1-1, it mightiness person been a antithetic story.

Player ratings

Croatia: Dominik Livakovic 6; Josip Juranovic 5, Dejan Lovren 6, Josko Gvardiol 7, Borna Sosa 6; Luka Modric 7, Marcelo Brozovic 6, Mateo Kovacic 8; Andrej Kramaric 8, Marko Livaja 7, Ivan Perisic 7.

Subs: Bruno Petkovic 6, Nikola Vlasic 6, Mario Pasalic 6, Mislav Orsic 6, Lovro Majer 6.

Canada: Milan Borjan 8; Alistair Johnston 6, Steven Vitoria 6, Kamal Miller 5, Richie Laryea 6; Tajon Buchanan 7, Atiba Hutchinson 5, Stephen Eustaquio 6, Alphonso Davies 7; Jonathan David 6, Cyle Larin 6.

Subs: Jonathan Osorio 6, Ismael Kone 6, Junior Hoilett 6, Lucas Cavallini 6, Samuel Adekugbe 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Milan Borjan, Canada

Canada's seasoned goalkeeper made a drawstring of saves to support the people down.

WORST: Josip Juranovic, Croatia

Completely mislaid Davies for Canada's opening extremity and was fortunate to get distant with different mediocre mistake soon afterwards.

Highlights and notable moments

While the effect wasn't what Canada fans wanted, Davies' archetypal extremity for the men's nationalist squad astatine a World Cup surely was a delight.

CANADA HAS SCORED ITS FIRST EVER FIFA WORLD CUP GOAL 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/aF2CBvGUFz

Judging by the celebrations successful Vancouver, wherever Davies archetypal started his pro shot journey, they enjoyed it astir arsenic overmuch arsenic helium did.

CANADA'S FIRST GOAL BY NONE OTHER THAN PHONZIE!!! #VWFC | #CANMNT pic.twitter.com/JVbtr48Y70

After the match: What the players and managers said

Quotes to follow...

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

• Alphonso Davies: his extremity aft 1 infinitesimal and 7 seconds was the fastest extremity of his vocation crossed each competitions. His erstwhile fastest was 4:08 successful 2017 against the New York Red Bull with Vancouver.

• Croatia person ne'er mislaid astatine the World Cup erstwhile starring astatine halftime: 5-0-0 (W-L-D).

• Andrej Kramaric joins Mario Mandzukic (2014 GS vs Cameroon) arsenic the lone Croatian players with multi-goal games astatine the World Cup.

• Ivan Perisic is the archetypal Croatian subordinate with 2 assists successful a azygous World Cup match.

Up next

Croatia: The Group F leaders look Belgium up adjacent astatine Ahmad bin Ali Stadium successful a crippled that could spot either broadside beforehand oregon beryllium eliminated depending connected the result.

Canada: With their World Cup exit confirmed Sunday, they're playing for pridefulness -- and hopefully a fewer much goals -- against Morocco connected Thursday astatine Al Thumama Stadium.