In order to take the lead over Belgium right away, Alphonso Davies had the opportunity to score his country’s first-ever World Cup goal. At the opposite end of Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, red-clad Canadian supporters hummed in anticipation for a moment that had been decades in the making as Davies prepared for the penalty kick in the 11th minute following a handball.
Canada will have to wait another 36 years for a World Cup victory:
Coach John Herdman told the team, “You’re bearing the burden of a country: 36 years of waiting – longer than 36 for our first goal.
Davis’ effort was blocked by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with his forearm after he correctly anticipated diving right. The Canadians were never any closer to striking after the ball was deflected away.
The Canadians lost to Belgium 1-0 on Wednesday night after completely dominating the second-ranked team in the world in Canada’s first World Cup game since 1986 thanks to a swift counter goal by Michy Batshuayi in the 44th minute.
Following the game, Davies declined to talk to the media.
He is the star of our team. He is among the world’s finest players. Jonathan Osorio, a midfielder, predicted that he would go on, get another chance, and bury the first one. Also in the goal, he had to get the ball past the best goalie in the world.
Davies’ film had been studied by Courtois.
Courtois explained his choice of direction by stating that he had fired from that side twice.
Canada was largely backed by the 40,432 spectators in the stadium in the Arabian desert.
The crowd enthusiastically sung “O Canada” before the game as many waved the Maple Leaf.
Goosebumps, Osorio remarked. “This country’s sports landscape is evolving. To some extent, I was taken aback. Arriving from Canada is a lengthy journey. It demonstrates the extent of the community’s support, the supporters’ passion, and the level of popularity of the sport in Canada. The history of this sport in this nation has changed as a result of this. A home game atmosphere prevailed. Belgium, in my opinion, played like they were away.
The sword that competitors used to go throughout Central America and the Caribbean during qualifying was brought along. It is etched with the phrase “Nihil timendum est” (Fear not).
Before the game, Chris Hadfield, a retired astronaut from Canada, chatted with the players.
Atiba Hutchinson, 39, made history as the oldest player other than a goalie to start a World Cup game.
Players felt happy and that they had momentum going into Sunday’s match against Croatia, the 2018 World Cup losing finalist, despite Canada’s World Cup record now being 0-4 overall. In the opening match, Croatia and Morocco drew 0-0.