The Croatian national team came from behind with a goal against its Canadian counterpart to a 4-1 victory, to go a long way towards qualifying for the second round in the 2022 World Cup, which will be held in the State of Qatar.
The match was held at Khalifa International Stadium, as part of the second round of the fifth group competitions of the group stage.
Croatia is approaching the second round
The Canadian national team surprised everyone with an early and historic goal, when Town Buchanan sent a cross ball into the penalty area, which Alfonso Davies jumped to and headed it into the net just 68 seconds after kick-off.
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Croatian awakening and the second goal!!!!!!!!
Marco Levia gives his country the lead after a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area was denied by goalkeeper Milan Burian!
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- beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) November 27, 2022
This is the fastest goal in the current edition, and the first for Canada in its history in the World Cup, which came in its fifth World Cup match.
Canada failed to score in three matches in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, against France, Hungary and the Soviet Union, and in the fourth against Belgium in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Andrej Kramaric managed to score the equalizer for Croatia in the 36th minute, after a perfect pass from Ivan Perisic.
Josep Juranovic passed a ball to his colleague Marco Levia on the edge of the penalty area, who kicked it off the ground, and settled in the net, so that the Croatian national team took the lead a minute before the end of the first half.
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Kramaric boosts the score with the third goal # World_Cup_Qatar_2022 |
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- beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) November 27, 2022
Karamaric returned to add his second and third personal goal to Croatia in the 70th minute, after he tamed Perisic's cross, before sending a creeping ball to the right of the goalkeeper.
The Croatian national team concluded the quartet after a fatal gag from the Canadian defense, so Mislav Orsic launched the ball, before gifting the ball to his teammate Lovro Mayer in front of the empty net, to successfully complete the task in the 94th minute.
The lead of Croatia in front of Morocco
With this result, the Croatian national team - the runner-up of the last edition - snatched the top of Group E with 4 points, with a goal difference only from Morocco, who finished in second place.
The struggle remains open for the two qualifying cards for this group between 3 teams.
They are: Croatia, Morocco and Belgium, while the Canadian national team bid farewell to the competitions, after receiving its second loss.
Morocco needs only a tie result from its last match against Canada at Al-Thumama Stadium next Thursday, in order to ensure passage to the final price round for the second time in its history, after the first in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
At the same time, the struggle will intensify over one of the two cards between Croatia and Belgium, as they will meet at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium at the same time as the Morocco-Canada match.