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Canada vs Belgium was decided by one goal and a penalty miss.
We have witnessed young spirited sides bloody the nose of ‘football giants’ throughout the World Cup so far, this was another of such a game with Canada matching Belgium toe-to-toe, and would have had a result to show for it save for the meddling Bat.
Team setups
Belgium’s Roberto Martinez controversially but unsurprisingly starts Eden Hazard alongside Kevin De Bruyne in the two behind the one in his 3-4-2-1.
The Canadians set up similarly with star man Alphonso Davies operating as a wingback-cum-left winger.
Canada with the First-half charge.
Canada had Belgium on the ropes for periods in the first half and this was aided by how quickly they came out gunning, earning them a penalty in as early as the 11th minute.
Tajon Buchanan’s shot from outside the ball appeared to have been fairly blocked by what looked like a wall of Belgian bodies, but on closer inspection via VAR, it was clear Yannick Carrasco had handled the ball in the box earning Canada a chance to go ahead before the quarter-hour mark.
The first or rather the first-major poor decision by Canada in the game was fullback Alphonso Davies stepping up to take the penalty ahead of specialist Jonathan David who has scored nine in his last twelve.
A tame shot to Thibaut Courtois’s right proved to be routine for the big Belgian, but he gave Canada another chance as he parried into the path of Jonathan David who skied his rebound.
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Canada kept applying pressure, making several poor decisions in the final third, but maintaining intensity all the same.
This was made easy by a lacklustre Belgium Midfield that contained Tielemans and Witsel who were clearly overrun by their Canadian counterparts, save for some De Bruyne solo actions, Belgium were lacking in the middle of the park.
If you have a team on the ropes, you punish them, a lesson Canada would come to learn especially against sides with the quality that Belgium have.
Belgium introduced themselves into the game and started initiating moves in the final third around the half-hour mark, at the point the goal attempt count read 11-2, in favour of Canada.
The pendulum swung again to the side it favoured more and a Witsel tackle in the box left Belgium at the mercy of VAR penalty review- verdict no penalty.
Maybe that was the spark, or an accelerant for an inevitable combustion, A beautifully weighted long ball from Toby Aldewiereld found Michy Batshuayi who made no mistake finding the back of the net, for the first and only goal of the game.
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A similar second half
The second half was a lot like the first with Canada playing on the front foot with a lot of intensity, poor decision making in the final third and Belgium playing on the break, or rather trying to do so.
Belgium’s midfield problems were fairly obvious forcing Martinez to make a Half-time sub bringing on Amadou Onana for the disappointing Tielemans.
Hazard was taking off for Trossard around the hour mark.
Canada made substitutions of their own one of which was Cyle Larin whose header was one of the best chances of the half.
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Canada tried all they could to pull level, with Alphonso Davies even operating as a right winger, if only they picked the right passes where it mattered on the field of play, or atleast finished chances more clinically, their 2.61 xG would have mattered for something.
The match ended an ugly win for Belgium and even Roberto Martinez was honest enough to admit that much.
Belgium’s coach on Canada
“Canada were better than us, they know what they want to do,” he confessed.
“Canada deserve to be better than us in the way they approached their performance.
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