Belgium coach admits "Canada was better" in FIFA World Cup opener

Nov 23 2022, 10:59 pm

Canada didn’t get the score they were after in their tournament-opening match at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but they’re leaving with some tone-setting praise nonetheless.

Because even their opposing coach understood who was the better team on the pitch Wednesday.

“I think today was such a difficult game,” Belgian coach Roberto Martinez said post-match. “Canada was better than us in what we wanted to do. They were very clear in what they wanted to do… come to the tournament with incredible celebration, great emotion, what we expected.

“This Canada team, they’ve got a lot of pace, a little directness, and to be fair, we had to show another side of our play. I’m delighted because we won the game through grit, experience, through the quality of our goalkeeper that can keep you in the game with a penalty.”

Canada, the No. 41-ranked team at the World Cup, lost 1-0 to No. 2 Belgium in their Group F opener despite outshooting their opponent 22-9. They carried the play through the first half of the match and had several opportunities to tie it up in the second of what was Canada’s first at the World Cup in 13,316 days.

The Canadians had last played at the World Cup in 1986.

“Canada deserved more,” Belgium goalkeeper Thibault Courtois said, according to TSN’s Matthew Scianitti.

The Canadians became the first World Cup team since 1978 to attempt at least 20 shots and one penalty kick and not score a goal.

“Canada deserves to be better than us in the way they approach their performance, but at the end, I thought the result reflects a little bit the things that we had to do and the way we defended for each other and the way we took the chance,” Martinez said.

Canada sits at the bottom of Group F after Croatia and Morocco played to a 0-0 draw earlier Wednesday.

The Canadians will play the No. 12-ranked Croatia on Sunday, November 27 at 8 am PT/11 am ET before finishing the group stage against Morocco, the 22nd ranked team in the world, on Thursday, December 1 at 7 am PT/10 am ET.

Croatia and Morocco can expect similar efforts from the Canadian group that finished atop the CONCACAF table in World Cup qualifying.

Martinez expected it, too.

“First of all is huge respect for what Canada has achieved,” Martinez told reporters Tuesday. “When you finish top of the group and ahead of national teams like USA and Mexico that means that there is a real substance. There’s not a coincidence that you arrive to a World Cup. We know how difficult it is to get to the World Cup.

“Straight away you know that this generation has something very, very special.”

Aaron VickersAaron Vickers

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