Canada ended their participation in the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Thursday with a 2-1 loss against Morocco for their final game in Group F.
John Hardman's men came into the tournament having already inspired a nation after turning heads in Concacaf qualifying. Unfortunately, I think, the game against Belgium caused them to come out feeling like a defeated side against a very good Croatian team.
Still, they should be extremely proud of what they did in the World Cup. Canada have so much to look forward to in 2026 when they co-host the tournament with a potential golden generation squad on the field. And, by the sounds of it, John Herdman isn’t going anywhere.
Here is how I felt each Canada player performed.
Borjan was very poor today. In the first goal, he did the last thing you want to see in a keeper when he hesitated, and instead of clearing the ball, passed it right to Hakim Ziyech, who punished him. On the second goal, he was beaten at his near post, although it was a fine strike, and finished the match with zero saves.
Johnston played with intensity today and was the better of the three center backs. The CF Montréal defender made a great block in the 32nd minute, which might have ended in a goal for Morocco. You saw flashes in this tournament of why Celtic are ready to make a move for him.
It was not a solid performance for Vitória. His backpass on the first goal was a bit too slow, and he was beaten for pace on the second goal soon after.
Like Vitória, it wasn't Kamal Miller's best day at the office. He was also beaten for pace on that second Moroccan goal by Youssef En-Nesyri. Miller recovered to have a solid second half.
Adekugbe was energetic throughout and showed his quality on the lone Canadian goal. It was a brilliant touch to get by his defender, followed by excellent service that ended with Morocco deflecting the ball into their own net.
The Club Brugge attacker was lively and energetic on the ball but lacked the poise that he showed throughout the tournament. He is never one to shy away from a duel, but the cohesive Moroccan team proved to be too much for him to make a big impact on the day.
While Kaye was active in his World Cup debut, he had some sloppy moments throughout the match and was a little too careless in possession. Had a hard time dictating play in midfield with his partner.
The Canadian midfield was completely overrun by Morocco in the first half. That started in the middle of the pitch with Osorio. While statistically he completed most of his passes, he and Kaye looked a few steps off the pace of the game.
The Bayern Munich star, as usual, was not short of ideas and creativity, but they didn't lead to positive results. He was trying a bit too much on his own and didn't get enough help from his teammates.
Although a frustrating tackle in the 7th minute from behind got him booked, he was Canada's best player throughout the match. Hoilett consistently tried to take the game to Morocco and was solid in his duels and in possession.
Larin worked hard for his team throughout the 90 minutes on both sides of the ball and did the best he could with his hold-up play. He had a few nice defensive clearances but ended the match with no shots on target due to the lack of service on the day.
Herdman had a hard job today after the disappointing loss against Croatia. It is very difficult to motivate a team to play for pride when they are mathematically eliminated, especially against a Moroccan team aiming to top the group.
He understandably had to rotate the squad with some fresh faces, but Canada's slow start proved to be the defeating factor in the end. This group can keep their heads held high – while the results didn't show, they earned the respect of the world in their first one-and-a-half matches, and have a ton of young talent to build around for the years to come.
Substitutes
Koné was lively off the bench and one I would have liked to see from the start in this match. He was always looking for a forward pass and wasted no time on the ball as Canada were chasing the game.
Atiba was so close to scoring today with his header bouncing down off the crossbar and nearly crossing the line for an equalizer. He showed great composure and leadership off the bench and put in an excellent shift, given the circumstances, in his final cap for his country.
Jonathan David had a hard time getting involved or finding his rhythm after coming off the bench. Look for the young striker to continue to find his feet and make a much bigger impact for Canada in 2026.
Richie Laryea showed his normal tenacity and aggression off the bench. However, he was unable to make an impact on the match.
