In its first match at a men’s World Cup in 36 years, Canada was brave and valiant, impressive and imperious. Yet those don’t put goals on the scoreboard.
Despite a performance in which it vastly outplayed Belgium for large stretches, it was the second-ranked Red Devils taking a 1–0 result in their opening match of group play in Qatar. Thibaut Courtois’s save of Alphonso Davies’s penalty kick and Michy Batshuayi’s goal just before halftime were the two decisive moments that allowed the 2018 third-place finisher to walk away with the three points. By virtue of Morocco and Croatia’s scoreless draw earlier in the day, Canada sits in last in the group, which seems harsh considering the underlying numbers of the performance. Canada’s expected goals, which includes the penalty, was 2.57, while Belgium’s was 0.76, according to TruMedia. Courtois, however, was the difference, and as most who have experienced World Cups know—and as Canada surely found out—margins on this stage can be quite fine.
Canada, led by a rising young nucleus featuring Davies and Lille forward Jonathan David. topped Concacaf’s World Cup qualifying table and has been rather fearless in its approach under manager John Herdman. That translated to the bigger stage, where there were no signs of the kind of nerves that might plague a side for which just being there is good enough.
Despite what followed, it was Belgium that came out firing from the opening whistle, forcing goalkeeper Milan Borjan into an early save. Batshuayi created the danger, with his long-range blast taking a deflection but not troubling the Canadian keeper too much.
At the eight-minute mark, things took a break for Canada. Tajon Buchanan volleyed a ball from inside the Belgium box that took a deflection and popped into Courtois’s arms. Upon VAR review, however, that deflection came off Yannick Carrasco’s outstretched arm, granting Canada a penalty.
The notion of Canada going ahead was fleeting, though. Courtois denied Davies’s spot kick, and the rebound was put out of play, letting Belgium off and keeping the score at 0-0. After three goalless showings in 1986, it also left Canada in search of its first ever goal at a men’s World Cup.
Despite the miss, Canada kept its energy and quality up, bossing the opening quarter of an hour and operating heavily in Belgium’s third. According to Squawka, it had 18 passes completed in the final third to Belgium’s one over the first 17 minutes. It could have been two for Belgium, except on a counterattack, De Bruyne opted to slide a pass to his left toward Carrasco, when Youri Tielemans was considerably more open to his right. Canada dealt with the danger and cut out the attack.
Meanwhile, it was Canada that kept the pressure coming on the other end. Courtois was forced into making another strong save, while Belgium’s most dangerous moment of the first 35 minutes came when Borjan possessed the ball across his own goal line, making for a nervy, if not unnecessary instance.
Canada also had a potentially second penalty go uncalled, even after VAR review, following in instance in which Axel Witsel clattered into Richie Laryea.
And despite Canada having far better of the run of play in the opening half, it was Belgium that took the lead just before halftime. Off a direct ball down the center from Toby Alderweireld, Batshuayi laced a finish by Borjan, giving Belgium the scoreboard advantage going into the break.
Canada may have been trailing, but the numbers showed just how much of the game had been tilted in its favor up until that point, with its 14 shots the most in a World Cup game without scoring since England had 17 in 2006, according to Opta.
Canada maintained its same approach to start the second half, and off a restart, it nearly pulled level, with David getting a header in the center of the box, only to direct it down and wide of the far post.
Batshuayi thought he had a clear look at a second goal in the 67th minute, as Belgium broke forward on the counter with a numeric advantage. As the cutback cross picked out the unmarked Batshuayi at the top of the Canada box, Laryea hustled back and made a perfectly timed sliding tackle to block the Belgian’s shot.
Canada kept pushing for the equalizer, and it nearly came in the 80th minute. Forward Cyle Larin, into the game as a substitute, directed his header on frame, but Courtois was all over it, diving to his right to make the clean catch.
It doesn’t get much easier for Canada, which turns its attention to a date with 2018 runner-up Croatia in its next match, while Belgium will face Morocco with a golden chance to all but punch its ticket to the knockout stage.
Here are the lineups for both teams:
Full World Cup Squads
Belgium
GOALKEEPERS: Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge)
DEFENDERS: Toby Alderweireld (Royal Antwerp), Zeno Debast (Anderlecht), Leander Dendoncker (Aston Villa), Wout Faes (Leicester), Arthur Theate (Rennes), Jan Vertonghen (Benfica), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund), Timothy Castagne (Leicester)
MIDFIELDERS: Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund), Amadou Onana (Everton), Youri Tielemans (Belgium), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Atletico Madrid),
FORWARDS: Michy Batshuayi (Fenerbahce), Charles De Ketelaere (AC Milan), Jérémy Doku (Rennes), Eden Hazard (Real Madrid), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan), Dries Mertens (Galatasaray), Loïs Openda (Lens), Leandro Trossard (Brighton)
COACH: Roberto Martínez
Canada
GOALKEEPERS: Milan Borjan (Red Star Belgrade), James Pantemis (CF Montreal), Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United)
DEFENDERS: Sam Adekugbe (Hatayspor), Derek Cornelius (Panetolikos), Alistair Johnston (CF Montreal), Richie Laryea (Toronto FC), Kamal Miller (CF Montreal), Steven Vitoria (Chaves), Joel Waterman (CF Montreal)
MIDFIELDERS: Stephen Eustaquio (FC Porto), Liam Fraser (Deinze), Atiba Hutchinson (Besiktas), Mark-Anthony Kaye (Toronto FC), Ismael Kone (CF Montreal), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Samuel Piette (CF Montreal), David Wotherspoon (St. Johnstone FC)
FORWARDS: Tajon Buchanan (Club Brugge), Lucas Cavallini (Vancouver Whitecaps), Jonathan David (Lille), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Junior Hoilett (Reading), Cyle Larin (Club Brugge), Liam Millar (Basel), Ike Ugbo (Troyes)
