It looked good for a few minutes, but it was not to be.
Canada were eliminated from the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Sunday after falling 4-1 against Croatia in their second match in Group F.
Les Rouges wanted to go after Croatia from the start and got an early goal from Alphonso Davies. Unfortunately, when you start pressing at the wrong time, a team can get disconnected. This happened to John Herdman's men and an experienced Croatia side was able to capitalize.
The European side was allowed to show their class in transition and dominate the midfield, which left the Canadian back line very isolated. With numbers and space, Croatia were free to put on a clinic around the 18-yard box.
Here is how I felt each Canada player performed.
Borjan didn't look as confident as he did in the first match. He should've done better on the second goal and looked a bit shaky with the ball at his feet.
The CF Montréal defender, as most of his defensive teammates, felt the pressure after the first 20 minutes and never quite recovered. Johnston struggled in the 1v1 battle in particular.
Despite the scoreline, the 35-year-old defender had a good individual performance. He was steady but found himself isolated on far too many occasions. The pressure on both center backs was constant.
Kamal Miller was one of the most consistent players for Canada over the first two matches. His positioning was good and he was solid at the back, but didn't get much help from the midfield. He had a very unfortunate play at the end that gifted Croatia's last goal.
The Toronto FC defender didn't really stand out. He didn’t do anything necessarily wrong but wasn't able to put an imprint on the game. Steady in a game that needed more from him.
The Club Brugge attacker looked very dangerous for the first 25 minutes of the match, setting up Alphonso Davies' historic first goal for Canada in a men's World Cup. He faded as the game went on as he was not able to get up and help in the attack as much.
I felt Atiba should've been subbed after 45 minutes. The 39-year-old midfielder, playing on short rest, wasn't up for the pace of the game. He was unable to keep up in transition.
Came off after the first 45 minutes after picking up an injury. He was sorely missed as he was needed to help start the point of attack and support with possession. His absence definitely hurt.
Davies gets a six because he scored a historic goal for Canada. He gets extra points for doing so after mentally bouncing back from missing a crucial penalty in the first match. Still, he struggled with the ball on his feet against the Croatians.
Putting them together as both struggled similarly in this match. They simply didn't do enough up top, with Larin being the more dangerous striker in the first 10 minutes. Ultimately, it was a forgettable performance for both attackers.
Substitutes
Koné finally showed his lack of experience after coming on in the second half. In those situations, the player needs to sense the match and where he is needed. I felt he didn't do that, making him mostly ineffective.
The Toronto FC midfielder came in and looked lively. He had a shot straight away that went just wide. He also helped close transitional spaces which helped slow down Croatia's advances at times.
Came on for Laryea in the 62nd minute when Canada needed more clarity in the attacking third. He didn't quite provide that.
The former Vancouver Whitecaps forward provoked a foul and had no chances on goal. He made no difference.
Once against was used as a sub later in the match and did his job at a moment when the game already felt out of reach.
