Reaction and analysis
Jonathan Wilson was at Houston Stadium, and his report is in. Here it is! Congratulations to Morocco, commiserations to Canada, and thank you all for reading this MBM. Next up, Paraguay-France, to find out who the Moroccans will play in the last eight. The World Cup never stops!
Jesse Marsch, eh, tells it as he sees it in his on-pitch interview. “What a privilege our fans have had to root a team on like this … that goes after the game … that doesn’t [gesticulates to folk off screen, either his own players or Morocco] play defensive … shows that they can be better, right? … of course we have to find ways to succeed … but what a great team … I’d rather be us than them … as good as Morocco is, I’d rather be us … I’m really proud of our guys … we went after the game … they’re hurting right now, but my goodness, I couldn’t be prouder … I thank Canada!”
Post-match postbag. “Even though the scoreline at the 2022 World Cup when Canada last played Morocco was tighter than today, Canada played really well and has come a long way in four years. I am really happy how well Canada did at the tournament” – Bruce Cooper (“a sad yet happy Canadian”)
“It’s always strange when a team is defined by an absence, France without Zidane in 2002 springs to mind. Canada looked a team transformed when Alphonso Davies came on in their last game, and it’s a real shame that he wasn’t fit enough to play today. By all reasonable measures, Canada had a good tournament, but they’ll still always be haunted by what could’ve been if Davies had been fit” – Kári Tulinius
“I think the Canadian team need a quick swig of Sortilège. A Canadian army neighbour introduced us to it about ten years ago. It’s a cure-all. For about two hours, but that’s plenty. Essentially it’s a Quebec-based blend of Canadian whisky and pure maple syrup. In Canadian French, it is known as eau de vie d’érable (spirit of maple)” – Kimberley Thonger
“The world’s worst team for titular redundancy is a baseball team: The Los Angeles Angels, literally ‘The the angels angels’” – Alistair Connor
“Oh Canada” – Niall Mullen
Once Canadian pain subsides, the co-hosts will look back on a successfully thrown party. Tick those boxes again: their first win at a finals; qualifying from the groups for the first time; a knockout game won at their very first attempt. That’s not a bad haul for a developing footballing nation; there’s plenty to build on going forward. But today they were undone by a better side, with better players, with more tournament know-how. No shame in that, and at least they battled to the very end. Jesse Marsch swats an intrusive TV camera away in irritation as he gathers his players into a huddle, but his mood will surely get better once the sting wears off and he takes stock.
The result is more than fair, though the scoreline is a little bit harsh on Canada. The 30th-ranked team in the world went toe to toe with the sixth best in the first half. Jesse Marsch’s side pressed hard and flustered Morocco; Tani Oluwaseyi had the best chance during that period. But quality will out, and after the break, when Morocco took it up a gear, Canada couldn’t cope. Achraf Hakimi and Azzedine Ounahi combined for a glorious set-piece opener, Ounahi adroitly finished off a whirlwind counter, as did Soufiane Rahimi in stoppage time. Three lovely goals, the only downside being the muscle injury suffered by the in-form Ismael Saibari in the first half. Should they face France next week, as everyone expects, they’ll give them a game.
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FULL TIME: Canada 0-3 Morocco
Morocco are the first team to reach the quarters, and will face either France or Paraguay in Foxborough next Thursday. The co-hosts are out.
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GOAL! Canada 0-3 Morocco (Rahimi 90+8)
It’s a done deal now all right! Morocco snaffle possession and spring forward on a three-on-one break. Diaz slips Rahimi into the box, down the inside-left channel. He draws Crepeau and slots a left-footed shot across the keeper and into the bottom right. The 2022 semi-finalists are on the march again!
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90 min +6: Schaffelberg isn’t taking this lying down, and draws a free kick from Hakimi, just to the left of the D. The set piece is shifted to Nelson, whose drive is off target. The buzzing Schaffelberg hits a cross-cum-shot that’s cleared, and eventually Nelson slices out for a goal kick. If there was any doubt – a goal there might have caused Morocco some late concern – it’s a done deal now.
90 min +5: Shaffelberg, who was busy after coming on against Qatar, wins a corner, then from that sends a ball in from the left that Crepeau, on walkabout again, nearly meets. Morocco clear their lines.
90 min +3: Nelson busies himself down the left and wins a corner. The set piece is sent into the mixer … and Bono punches clear under pressure from his opposite number Crepeau, who has clearly decided it’s Foxborough or bust. Crepeau fouls Bono, and that’s more time gone.
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90 min +2: David goes down on the edge of the Moroccan box, looking for a free kick he’s never going to get. El Mourabet swishing him out of the way with ease.
90 min: There will be eight minutes of stoppage time.
88 min: Bono takes a whack upside the head from Promise while dealing with a high free kick sent into the mixer. The whistle goes, and time ticks down on Canada.
87 min: Morocco make a double change: El Mourabet and Saadane come on for Ounahi and Diop. So do Canada: Osario and Nelson replacing Buchanan and Sigur.
86 min: Johnston crosses from the right. Easy for Bono, who bowls out to Ounahi on the right. Canada seriously light at the back. Ounahi loops a perfect cross onto the head of Rahimi, ten yards out. Rahimi guides a header towards the top right, Crepeau rooted to the spot and out of the game … but the ball crashes off the underside of the bar and stays out. That would have been another peach of a goal. Moroccan cream rising to the top now.
84 min: Morocco haven’t played particularly well. At all. But they’ve scored two delicious goals. They’re pretty good at the old tournament football.
GOAL! Canada 0-2 Morocco (Ounahi 82)
De Fugerolles tries a defence-splitting pass down the right that’s easily intercepted by Talbi. He strides forward down the middle. Morocco are four on two. Talbi feeds Diaz in the box on the right. Diaz draws the defenders and cuts back inside for Ounahi, who opens his body and sidefoots a powerful curler into the top right. A lovely counter! That should be that.
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81 min: That was better from Canada … but the subs were sent on, and there’s still no Davies. Presumably a fitness setback? It would be a bit weird otherwise.
79 min: Canada replace Laryea and Ahmed with Promise and Shaffelberg. Then when play restarts, Buchanan has a dig from distance. A low drive towards the bottom left. Bono tips around the post, and nothing comes from the resulting corner.
78 min: David tries a cheeky flip into the top-left corner, hoping to catch Bono out of position. He might have done so, had he got the free kick on target, but the ball floats harmlessly over the bar.
77 min: VAR’s had a look, and the decision stands. A free kick inside the Morocco D, but just outside the box. The usual pre-set-piece prep is going on right now.
76 min: Sigur curls in from the right. Bono punches powerfully clear. Canada come back at Morocco, and Eustaquio thinks about shooting from the edge of the box. He’s pulled back by Amrabat, and the referee awards a free kick. Right on the edge. VAR will probably need to double check that’s not a penalty, because it looked really close.
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75 min: Canada pass it around patiently … they’re not panicking yet.
73 min: Still no sign of Alphonso Davies. Jesse Marsch may need to break the emergency glass on that one sooner rather than later.
71 min: … and we begin again.
70 min: Hydration break postbag. “Morocco have looked like a team of footballers who can’t run and Canada like a team of athletes who can’t play football. Hence this thriller for the ages” – Niall Mullen
“Strange to see Bouaddi being taken off. I like Amrabat, but Bouaddi is so composed on the ball, reads the game so well, is always in the way. Morocco may gain muscle but is losing plenty of quality on the ball - and off it. I’m now wondering how long until a major team picks him up from Lille” – João André
“Leave it up to an EPL ref to absolutely ruin a World Cup match. Hope he is sent home after this to prepare for his 10 minute VAR checks in August” - Craig Rempel
“Michael Oliver is completely ruining this game, and reffing completely differently from every other official this tournament. Let them play!” – Matthias (salty in Montreal)
“I happen to think a red card or two would spice this game up a bit. C’mon Michael O!!!” – Joshua Reynolds
68 min … and that’s drinks. And snacks. Fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. Maple bacon corn snacks. (“The maple kind?!”) Khobez flatbread and zaalouk, made from aubergine and tomato. (He still wants the maple bacon. I’d go for the zaalouk myself, but fair’s fair, he’s a dog.)
67 min: Bono’s put to work now, though, Buchanan nearly latching onto a long ball down the middle, the keeper coming from his box to hack clear. Then seconds later, another ball down the middle, this time sent into the Canada penalty area. Bono clears, only for Larin to clatter him microseconds later. Another booking. It was a powerful challenge, but Larin was entitled to go for that. A free kick would have surely sufficed, but PGMOL gonna PGMOL.
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65 min: Morocco seem pretty comfortable at the moment. Bono hasn’t had anything to do since the restart. Meanwhile my colleague Beau Dure adds more colour to this all-action thriller: “With the shot off the free kick, Morocco improved their xG from 0.02 to 0.09.”
63 min: … and perhaps with that in mind, Oluwaseyi is replaced by Larin. Morocco meanwhile make a double change, swapping out El Khannouss and Bouaddi for Amrabat and Talbi.
62 min: Oluwaseyi is penalised for clipping Bouaddi. It’s a bit soft, so he rants at the referee. He’s already on a booking, so wants to watch himself.
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60 min: Buchanan bounds after a ball down the inside-right channel. He’s shoved in the back by Halhal and falls over in the box, but there’s no decision over a penalty because the flag goes up for offside. There didn’t look much in the offside decision; there’s a bit more to be said about the possible penalty, because Halhal was taking an awful risk. But we move on.
59 min: The corner’s hit long, but De Fougerolles can’t get any power on a header at the far post.
58 min: Ahmed chases after a long pass down the left and wins a corner. Eustaquio to take.
56 min: Hakimi’s corner comes back to him, and then he flays a wild second attempt at a cross over everyone’s head and out for a goal kick. “Maybe I’m imbuing the footballers on the pitch with more intelligence than they actually have, but if a referee is being a bit whistle and card-happy, then surely they should dial down the cynical/professional fouls to ensure they don’t get penalised?” wonders Andy (not that one) Flintoff.
55 min: … so yes, they pick it up again, and Rahini bursts down the right to win a corner off Buchanan.
54 min: Morocco don’t have to force it now, so they drop the pace a bit and start passing it around the back again. Whether that’s such a good idea, given the evidence of the first half, and what happened when they picked it up after the break, is a moot point.
52 min: That was a wonderful set piece. Cut back crisply by Hakimi, and dispatched calmly, albeit through a thicket of legs in a crowded box, by Ounahi. A genuine moment of quality to break the deadlock. The Canada players who surrounded the referee re that Ounahi tug on Ahmed might have something to say about it, though.
GOAL! Canada 0-1 Morocco (Ounahi 50)
The free kick, near the right hand corner flag, is pulled back by Hakimi to Ounahi, who races in and meets the ball just inside the D, passing the ball at high speed into the bottom right! Great free kick, and a lovely finish … by a player who could have picked up a second yellow moments before.
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49 min: … the ball’s worked left to right. It’s crossed for De Fougerolles, who slices a wild volley over the bar. And then De Fougerolles is in action again up the other end, sliding in late on Rahimi as the Moroccan sub bombs down the right. Another booking. This isn’t going to end up 11 v 11.
48 min: Ounahi gives the ball away then pulls Ahmed back. A gentle tug, but he’s already on a yellow. Canada keep going, though, and Oluwaseyi enters the box, winning a corner. From which …
47 min: The early signs suggest Morocco have been given the what-for during the break, and told to take it up a couple of notches.
Morocco get the second half started. No changes during the break.
Half-time postbag. “Did the Morocco team that played Brazil get rested for today’s game?” – Gavin O’Reilly
“These teams are so bad, can’t we eliminate them both and bring back in Cabo Verde?” – Phil Collis
“This match is tactically genius from Canada. You’re so negative about the match. Canada is dominating the #7 team in the world. Yes dominating them, I got no problem saying that. They haven’t had a sniff” – Craig Rempel
“Give credit to Canada’s defensive organization! They are sharp with their shape and strategic press. It might not be a crackin’ match, but you could at least give some plaudits where they are due!” – Reuben Koole
“A few minutes ago the commentator on Norwegian telly told us that there had been five yellow cards. But the Norwegian for yellow (‘gul’) sounds very similar to ‘jul’, the Norwegian for Christmas. So perhaps Mr Oliver is writing ‘seasons greetings’ on them after waving them about” – Bob O’Hara
“Bayern Munchen. Borussia Dortmund. Even my own beloved Brighton and Hove Albion. Let’s not pretend Europeans are superior here” – Simon Webb
“I got distracted looking up the origin of ‘to give someone gyp’. The popular theory is that it comes from ‘gee up’ (eg a horse) because you beat a horse to gee it up. So now you know” – Harry Desmond
HALF TIME: Canada 0-0 Morocco
Canada have stifled Morocco with their press, and Oluwaseyi carved out a chance for himself. But otherwise it’s been slim pickings, and not much of a spectacle. Canada will be miles happier, though.
45 min +6: Yet another yellow card, this time to El Khannouss for running slap-bang into De Fougerolles. That’s four Moroccans walking the disciplinary tightrope now.
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45 min +4: Johnson throws long down the right touchline and nearly releases Oluwaseyi, but the striker can’t jink past Mazraoui with Morocco otherwise light at the back.
45 min +2: We’re already a third of the way into six additional first-half minutes.
45 min: … and now it’s a booking for Ounahi, who clips Ahmed. It’s not exactly been a dirty game, that minor brouhaha started by Hakimi and Laryea apart. Time to resurrect Kevin Keegan’s great quote on ITV during the 1994 World Cup: “It’s like a toaster, the ref’s shirt pocket. Every time there’s a tackle, up pops a yellow card.”
44 min: Some more HOT MICHAEL OLIVER ACTION as David is booked for cynically but also pointlessly hauling back Diaz, who was in flight, but miles from the Canada goal.
43 min: Morocco do their calming-things-down bit again. Pass, pass, pass around the back. The majority of the crowd give them a bit of gyp as a result.
41 min: Oliver books both Hakimi and Laryea. The former seemed more at fault than the latter, pushing his man in the back unnecessarily. Laryea came back at him, which is when everything got heated … but not that heated. Still, we need something to spark this game into life. The usual think-of-the-kids caveats apply, but a bench-emptying brawl would have done it.
39 min: Hakimi and Laryea square up over very little. Then everyone else piles in, and things nearly descend to WAHEY! level. We don’t like to see it, except we do. The referee Michael Oliver comes across to put a stop to the nonsense, the old spoilsport.
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37 min: Another long Johnston throw-in that comes to nothing. This is in danger of turning into a bit of a non-event. Meanwhile here’s Jeff Necessary from North Carolina: “Having observed my son coming up through Texas schools for 10 years, the kids were heavily indoctrinated that Texans are better than anyone else and Texas is better than anywhere else (both of which sounded to me like trying to convince themselves first). So with that mindset, calling the team the Texans fits right in.” We should probably stop this discussion now, just in case we accidentally spark a second US civil war. And on this day of all days, too, for shame.
35 min: Mazraoui’s attempt at a clearing header skims off the top of his head and out for a corner. The set piece leads to some messy nonsense, and De Fougerolles falls over the stricken Bouaddi. No claim for a penalty, in fact it’s a free kick to Morocco.
34 min: Eustaquio floats a diagonal pass in from the left, hoping to find Buchanan in the Morocco box. But Morocco clear.
32 min: Nothing much going on. The crowd entertain themselves with a Viking Row, the Mexican Wave de nos jours.
30 min: Johnston flings long into the Morocco area from the right. De Fougerolles competes too energetically and the whistle goes. Fair to say this match hasn’t quite taken off yet.
29 min: Play restarts, and Morocco’s replacement striker Rahimi has a dig from long range. That’s easy for Crepeau. “The Texans were originally going to be called the Toros - meaning ‘bull’ in Spanish,” begins Ray in Houston. “The team logo is a bull and the team mascot is an anthropomorphic bull called ‘Toro’ (who looks somewhat like a minotaur). So they were walking the easy path to calling the team the Toros. And then they stepped off the path into a pile of bullshit and called the team the ‘Texans’. The Houston Toros is an empirically good name.”
27 min: “Having watched most of this tournament, I’ve been incredibly impressed with the reffing,” begins Kevin D. “Is Michael Oliver over-calling this game already? Are his decisions indicative of what’s wrong with the reffing in the EPL - as opposed to the free-flowing matches that have happened this tournament?” A Premier League referee needlessly inserting himself into the narrative? Now now.
25 min … and that’s drinks! Riesling icewine, made from grapes harvested on icy winter nights, or mint green tea. But who is serving up what?
23 min: Eustaquio floats the free kick into the arms of Bono. Easy for the keeper.
22 min: Saibari can’t continue. Bayern Munich’s new signing is replaced by Rahimi. That’s a big blow for Morocco. Saibari already has three goals to his name in this tournament.
21 min: Before the free kick can be taken, Saibari goes down holding his leg. He’s pulled something.
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20 min: Halhal is booked for clipping Oluwaseyi’s heel out on the right touchline. It was a foul for sure; a yellow card seems a bit harsh.
19 min: A speculative long pass down the Canada right nearly sends Buchanan away. Halhal slides across to conceded a corner. Eustaquio loops it in. Johnston connects, but the ball ricochets clear. “The Montreal Canadiens,” announces Nick Oon. “That’s all.”
17 min: Saibari is found in space down the right by Diop’s long rake … but he was clearly offside and the flag eventually pops up.
15 min: Ounahi tries to release Hakimi down the right but Laryea blocks illegally. The free kick’s worked back, and a long ball down the same flank nearly finds Diaz in space, but Crepeau races out of his area to clear. The first Moroccan sortie into Canadian territory.
13 min: Morocco have been strangely meek so far. Canada’s fearsome press is too much for them at the moment. Eustaquio has time and space to shoot from the edge of the D but opts to look for David instead. He should have taken a whack.
11 min: El Aynaoui plays a loose pass out from the back. It’s read and easily intercepted by Ahmed, who advances before slipping a pass down the inside-left by Oluwaseyi. A cute turn on a sixpence, then a shot towards the bottom right. It’s heading in, but stopped by Bono’s outstretched leg. The Moroccan keeper standing firm in these early exchanges, with the rest of his team doing him few favours.
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9 min: Morocco calm things down with some more of that passing around at the back (see 3 min). Much good it did them after that, so let’s see how things develop. Meanwhile Kiera Healy would like to address Peter Oh’s complaint about the Houston Texans: “Surely not quite as bad as the India Premier League’s Mumbai Indians, given that every other team in the IPL is also made up of Indians.”
7 min: The presence of De Fougerolles discombobulates the Moroccan defence, but eventually the corner is cleared. That burst of pressure will give Canada great heart. So much for Morocco’s early authority!
6 min: Diop clears the second corner in the sequence, but Canada have found some rhythm, and a third is won down the right. Eustaquio to send it in.
5 min: Laryea embarks on a power dribble down the left, through a couple of half-hearted challenges, winning the game’s first corner. Eustaquio whips it in dangerously, forcing Bono to punch powerfully clear. But the ball comes straight back at Morocco, down the inside-left channel. David’s first touch isn’t great, taking him wide left. He swivels and shoots, forcing Bono to turn behind for another corner.
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3 min: Morocco stroke it around the back in the calm manner, establishing a bit of early authority.
1 min: There was a false start with Johnson haring into the Moroccan half too early. On the second attempt, Canada immediately lose the ball, so how happy they’ll be about all that is debatable. Bouaddi tries to release Diaz down the right but the Real Madrid winger knew he was offside so didn’t move.
Canada get the ball rolling. A good old noise in this indoor atmosphere-controlled Houston Stadium. It’s a lot cooler inside than out.
The teams are out! Both normally play in red shirts, so they’re both in their second-choice garb today: Canada in black, Morocco in white. The anthems all standing on guard for thee and heading for grandeur. Fair play to one and all. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes!
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Pre-match postbag. “I’m 100% confident that our boys will do it today and keep the Moroccan flag flying high. I’m not so sure they can get past France if they do win today but who knows ... anyway, great days for Moroccan football” – Yac Semmar
“Morocco makes me think back to a fellow named Mohammed who played occasionally in my beer-league ice hockey in Montreal (think pub team in football terminology), Mo was a talented player.... as it turns out he was once a member of the Moroccan national ice hockey team. I imagine he’s taking in the match, perhaps conflicted on what side to support. A problem I don’t have as the Azzurri didn’t qualify, again. Forza Canadesi!” – Domenic Boscariol
“I agree the Canada pennant is needlessly repetitive but compare that to name of the NFL team that plays at this stadium: Houston Texans. Houston is in Texas. Check. People in Texas are Texans. OK. All well and good, but come on! That is the best name they could come up with?” – Peter Oh
The prize on offer today is a quarter-final against either Paraguay or France. There’s a cheap strikethrough gag begging to be made there, and goodness knows we’re cheap and jaded enough to usually do it. But nobody’s taking anything for granted after Argentina’s scrape with disaster against the heroic and inspired Cape Verde. Here’s how last night’s instant-classic antics went down in Rotterdam, where six of the Blue Sharks were born.
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It’s the big pennant showdown … and it’s as good as a walkover for Morocco. Achraf Hakimi will hand over this uniquely shaped artefact that almost literally drips with beauty. The Arabic script translates as Royal Moroccan Football Federation, so there’s no detail anywhere of today’s fixture and opponent; unfortunately that’s one point docked. However two bonus points are awarded for the sheer elegance of Arabic script. Total score: 11 out of 10.
This however doesn’t pass muster. Untidy tassels, and is there any need to be shouting CANADA? We know it’s Canada, the logo’s told us that already. Total score: four out of 10 (FOUR OUT OF TEN).
Morocco make one change to their starting XI from the game against the Netherlands. Redouane Halhal takes the place of Chadi Riad at centre-back. Riad picked up a knee injury in that last-32 match, but is on the bench nonetheless.
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Canada captain and star man Alphonso Davies, battling back from long-term injury, starts on the bench again, having come on to good effect against South Africa. Jesse Marsch makes three changes following that last-32 victory. Luc de Fougerolles and Niko Sigur come into a five-man defence, while Norwich City’s Ali Ahmed augments the attack. Derek Cornelius, Liam Millar and Nathan Saliba step down.
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The teams
Canada: Crepeau, Johnston, De Fougerolles, Bombito, Laryea, Buchanan, Sigur, Stephen Eustaquio, Ahmed, Jonathan David, Oluwaseyi.
Subs: St. Clair, Goodman, Jones, Waterman, Choiniere, Larin, Millar, Cornelius, Shaffelburg, Davies, Osorio, Promise David, Saliba, Nelson.
Morocco: Bounou, Hakimi, Diop, Halhal, Mazraoui, Bouaddi, El Aynaoui, Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannous, Saibari.
Subs: Mohamedi, Tagnaouti, Amrabat, Saadane, Talbi, Rahimi, El Ouahdi, El Mourabet, Yassine, Sbai, Riad, Belammari, El Kaabi, Amaimouni-Echghouyab, Saleh-Eddine.
Referee: Michael Oliver (England).
Canada have played Morocco on four previous occasions. They’ve yet to win. Three of those matches were friendlies: Morocco won 3-2 in 1984 and 4-0 in 2016, while the countries drew 1-1 in 1984. The only competitive fixture came in the last World Cup, when Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri scored the goals that won Morocco their group and set them off on their journey to the semis.
Morocco were the best performers in Group C. But they didn’t win it, because they failed to put Brazil away while in the ascendancy during a 1-1 draw. It took they 70 seconds to see off Scotland. And they toyed with ignominy against Haiti but eventually overpowered the underdogs 4-2.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 3 | 6 | 7 |
| 2 | Morocco | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 3 | Scotland | 3 | -3 | 3 |
| 4 | Haiti | 3 | -6 | 0 |
They were on the brink of going out in the Round of 16 against the Netherlands. Issa Diop rescued them with a stoppage-time header, and the Atlas Lions went on to win a topsy-turvy penalty contest.
Canada made it out of Group B easily enough. A 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina. A six-goal rout of Qatar that was soured by a bad injury to Ismaël Koné. A 2-1 defeat to Switzerland that lost them home advantage.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switzerland | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 2 | Canada | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| 3 | Bosnia-Herzegovina | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| 4 | Qatar | 3 | -8 | 1 |
Then in the round of 16 they ground out victory over South Africa. Stephen Eustáquio was their last-gasp hero.
Here are the pre-tournament team guides, the view from the outset. Reread! Reacquaint! Reassess!
Preamble
Whatever happens to Canada now – within comedic/catastrophic reason – this World Cup will go down as an unqualified success. So far, they’ve won their first match at a finals; they’ve qualified from a group for the first time; and they’ve won a knockout game at their very first attempt. Nobody’s seriously expecting Jesse Marsch’s team to win the whole darn thing, so the co-hosts will be approaching everything from here on in as a free hit. Any more success will/should be considered an extremely pleasant bonus.
Morocco will be setting their sights a little higher. Four years ago, the Atlas Lions broke through all sorts of barriers: not only was their fourth-place finish their best at a World Cup by some distance, in doing so they became both the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-final stage. Since then, they’ve won (well, been awarded) the Africa Cup of Nations; in four years time, they’ll co-host the World Cup. It’s a banner period for them, and currently ranked sixth in the world – ahead of historical powerhouses Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy, and only behind five previous World Cup champions – they’ll see no reason why they can’t go super-deep again.
Of course, one of the hot favourites in France would (probably) be next … and Canada are perfectly capable of pulling of a shock as well. Super-deep is far from nailed-on for Morocco, and this game is by no means a gimme, so with its swirly mix of expectation, relaxation, likelihood and sort-of-home-crowd advantage, today’s round-of-16 tie is almost perfectly set up for FUN. Let’s hope it delivers; there’s no reason on earth why it shouldn’t. Kick off in Houston, Texas is at midday local time, 1pm EDT, 6pm BST and 3am AEST. It’s on!
