Vancouver (Canada) (EFE).- Canada achieved the first World Cup victory for its men’s national team this Thursday with a 6-0 rout against Qatar, which finished with nine players, at BC Place in Vancouver, leaving it as leader of Group B with 4 points, but which was marred by the serious injury of Ismael Koné in the 50th minute.
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Jesse Marsch’s team, which had earned its first point in a World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina, took another historic leap with a performance of authority, high pressure, and efficiency. Cyle Larin, Nathan Saliba, an own goal by Mohammad Al Mannai, and a hat-trick by Jonathan David marked an unprecedented night for Canadian soccer.
It was also a historic rout for the host. Canada achieved it at home, in front of 52,497 spectators, with Alphonso Davies back on the bench and an attack that functioned from the start.
Canada achieves its first World Cup victory after thrashing Qatar 6-0
Qatar had a promising start, in the first minute, with an arrival by Edmilson Junior that ended with a deflected shot. It was practically the only thing Julen Lopetegui’s team could do. From then on, the match belonged to Canada.
The first serious warning came in the 5th minute, with a hard shot from Jonathan David saved by Mahmoud Abunada. It was the prelude to the 1-0. In the 15th minute, Ali Ahmed took a corner, David tested the Qatari goalkeeper again, and Larin, alert to the rebound, pushed the ball into the net. The striker, a substitute and goalscorer against Bosnia, justified his starting position with another decisive goal.
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The goal did not relax Canada. It reinforced them. Buchanan insisted on the right, Ahmed on the left, and Qatar remained further and further away from Maxime Crépeau. In the 28th minute, an action born again in Buchanan’s sector ended with a loose ball at the edge of the box. Jonathan David picked it up and executed with precision for the 2-0.
Ali Ahmed shot high, but Canada was already playing with a numerical and emotional advantage. Buchanan came close to scoring the third for Canada, but the defense cleared it almost off the line. The 3-0 came in first-half stoppage time. Larin headed the ball, Abunada made a great save, but David appeared again to score into an empty net.
A second half marked by the foul on Kone
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The second half began with more changes than reaction. Marsch replaced Derek Cornelius, who was booked, with Moise Bombito. Lopetegui shuffled the bench with Ahmed Fathy and Mohamed Mannai, but Qatar remained pinned in their own area.
The night darkened in the 50th minute. Madibo went in hard on Koné. Garay showed a yellow card at first, but VAR upgraded the sanction to a straight red. The Canadian midfielder lay on the ground, surrounded by the Canada bench to shield him from the cameras.
Finally, Koné left the field on a stretcher, cheered by the crowd. Shortly after, he was taken to a Vancouver hospital where the extent of the injury to his left leg was being evaluated.
Canada strung together corners, kept Crépeau almost in the rival half to collect clearances, and kept looking for more goals. The 5-0 came in the 74th minute, when a shot by Jacob Shaffelburg ended up deflected by Mohamed Mannai into his own goal.
The sixth, already in the 90+2 minute, completed Jonathan David’s night. The Canadian striker closed his hat-trick with another goal in stoppage time and rounded off Canada’s biggest victory in a World Cup.
