Croatia players celebrate after their 4-1 win over Canada on Sunday. (Reuters)World Cup 2022, Croatia vs Canada Match Highlights: Searching for their first ever World Cup goal, Canada took the lead in the second minute against Croatia at the Khalifa International Stadium. Alphonso Davies headed home the fastest goal of the tournament. Croatia responded strongly as Kramaric and Livaja scored to complete the comeback. The 2018 runner ups went into halftime with a 2-1 lead.
After a stalemate of a first half, goals from Abdelhamid Sabiri and Zakaria Aboukhlal helped Morocco claim only their third win at the FIFA World Cup finals. A 2-0 win against 2nd ranked side in the world, Belgium. A Group F clash that now puts Morocco on top of the table with four points in two games.
Croatia (4-3-3): Livakovic; Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Sosa; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic; Livaja, Kramaric, Perisic; Canada (3-4-3): Borjan; Johnston, Vitoria, Miller; Laryea, Hutchinson, Eustaquio, Davies; Buchanan, Larin, David
Spain vs Germany: Clash of contrasts promises to be the game of the group stage
Players from Germany pose for the team photo as they cover their mouth during the World Cup group E soccer match between Germany and Japan, at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar. (AP)
Germany coach Hansi Flick during the press conference. (Reuters)
Right then, time for the much anticipated Germany vs Spain Group E meeting. Join us here to follow all the live updates from the contest!
And that does it!
A goal 68 seconds into the match from Alphonso Davies was cancelled in the first half as Croatia completed a comeback. The second half was only about further emphasising their dominance. Only the second time in World Cup history that Croatia have scored four past a team and with all that was said in the Canada camp ahead of this match, it was a must from the 2018 runner ups to put this show. Four points in two games and a better goal difference than Morocco has them sitting atop Group F.
CRO 4-1 CAN
Canada thrust their number forwards and lose the ball. Orsic is on the break without another Canadian shirt ahead of him. He runs all the way into goal, and with Borjan near him, sets up Majer on the right with an open goal gaping.
CRO 4-1 CAN
Canada bombard the Croatian box with numbers and the ball falls to Junior Hoilett whose first volley is blocked from one of the Croatian shirts. The Canadian number 10 gets the ball on his feet again and drills it towards Livakovic's goal again but it goes wide of the goal.
CRO 3-1 CAN
A minimum of six minutes of added time indicated by the fourth official on the board.
CRO 3-1 CAN
Miller and Modric with a verbal, and the referee takes out the yellow card for each of them. Meanwhile Croatia make three changes.
Orsic replaces Perisic.
Pasilic replaces Kovacic.
And Modric departs, just after receiving a yellow but the swap would've been planned even before. Majer takes his spot.
CRO 3-1 CAN
When you're leading 3-1 and have the experience that this Croatian side does, those kind of shots can be taken.
Perisic takes a speculative shot from 20 yards out but it curls the wrong side of the post, never putting Borjan under pressure.
CRO 3-1 CAN
The Canadian goalkeeper can barely be faulted for his performance today. Four Croatia forwards queue up inside Canada’s penalty area to register a fourth but Perisic’s initial effort is blocked before Brozovic’s follow-up chance is saved bravely by Borjan.
CRO 3-1 CAN
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Vlasic looks to poke Perisic through into the penalty area but he gets his inventive pass wrong and gives possession back to Vitoria.
CRO 3-1 CAN
Croatia bring in Vlasic, replacing their brace scorer Kramaric.
Canada introduce Adekugbe for Hutchinson, while Cavallini replaces David.
CRO 3-1 CAN
Ivan Perisic's cross finds Andrej Kramaric some 16 yards out of the Canadian goal and burries a left footed shot in the bottom corner to score his second! That should DO IT for Croatia. None of the Canadian players put their foot/body in to stop that one and they are punished rightly for it.
CRO 3-1 CAN
Junior Hoilett comes on to replace Richie Laryea.
A number of tackles and substitutions have broken up the flow of the match, much to Croatia’s benefit. They’ve largely been able to dictate play and prevent counter-attacks from springing, which will be Canada’s best chance to get a second goal.
CRO 2-1 CAN
Marko Livaja, who completed the first half comeback of Croatia, is replaced by Bruno Petkovic up front.
CRO 2-1 CAN
This is better from Canada. Jonathan Osorio, who just got fouled from his idol Luka Modric at the other end, progresses into the area before sending the ball wide to Tajon Buchanan, who finds Jonathan David. A whip from outside the box that needed some saving is parried over the bar by Livakovic. The game stops and referee picks up a yellow card off his pocket for Dejan Lovren for an earlier foul.
CRO 2-1 CAN
Kramaric, teed up nicely for a shot near the penalty spot, places it with power to Borjan’s right. The Canadian keeper does quite well there, showing the shot-stopping skill that bedeviled Canada's Concacaf foes, including the USA.
CRO 2-1 CAN
A frustrated Buchanan cynically takes Gvardiol down from behind, rightly earns a yellow card. If you are going to take someone down in front of the ref and the VAR watching , atleast do it a tad more subtly.
CRO 2-1 CAN
Jonathan Osorio, only just one the pitch, curls a shot from outside the Croatian box and it whizzes past Livakovic's goal. That was only the second attempt for Canada on goal since that Alphonso Davies header 68 seconds into the game.
CRO 2-1 CAN
Marko Livaja, who scored Croatia’s second goal against Canada, has a song written on him by the rap group Disconnect.
The lyrics run thus: “Getting the goals, Marko Livaja / Killer balls, Marko Livaja / Three points here, Marko Livaja / I’m strong in the head, like Marko Livaja / Got under everyone’s skin / Let anyone come, I’m never bad / The stands implore me, they call me God.”
John Herdman introduces couple of changes for the 2nd half. Stephen Eustáquio and striker Cyle Larin are coming off for Jonathan Osorio and Ismaël Koné.
CRO 2-1 CAN