Canada makes the grade at World Cup

Canada’s summer soccer semester is over and the report card is in.

Don’t worry — everyone passed, though certain subjects proved more difficult to grasp than others. But that’s often the case, and the good news is that education is a lifelong endeavour. There will be many more opportunities to learn.

If there’s bad news — and we have to look pretty hard to find it — it’s likely to do with the way things ended. Yes, it can be quite the grind, but there’s something to be said for a strong finish.

That didn’t come on Saturday, when Morocco scored three second-half goals to send the Canadian men’s national team packing from the 2026 World Cup. Having outplayed its (much) higher-ranked opponent through most of the initial frame, Canada seemed to lose its hyperfocus after the restart.

Even so, on balance the tournament should be scored a success for this country, both on and off the field. It may have finished in disappointment, but overall the marks reveal a sport that’s had a good few weeks and shows a lot of promise for the future.

We’ll start with the individual grades.

Steven Eustáquio: A

The stand-in captain had an excellent World Cup, punctuated by his game-winner against South Africa that put Canada into the Round of 16. Against Morocco he was his country’s best player and made several tackles and ball recoveries while having 92 touches of the ball.

Alphonso Davies: DNF

Bayern Munich must have had a direct line to Canada’s coaching staff, because their star left-back was limited to just 15 minutes at this World Cup. Granted, he continues to recover from injury, but head coach Jesse Marsch has some questions to answer about the 25-year-old’s use at the competition.

Jonathan David: C

A World Cup hat-trick should never be sneezed at, and David scored one against Qatar in Vancouver. Only one of those goals, however, came before Qatar’s first red card. One came after, and another came with two opposing players having been sent off. He was anonymous, if not a liability, against Morocco.

Tajon Buchanan: C-

Canada needed him to be its best winger, but he was outplayed by Ali Ahmed. There’s nothing wrong with that, and Ahmed had a strong tournament, but Buchanan was key to Marsch’s tactical setup and did not live up to expectation.

Luc de Fougerolles: B+

The only Canadian centre-back to start all three group-stage matches, he also played the full 90 minutes on Saturday. Now, it was his reckless challenge on Soufiane Rahimi that led directly to the first Morocco goal, but on balance the 20-year-old Fulham defender proved himself a reliable, even dynamic, option in the position.

Cyle Larin: A

Insulted at not being handed the start against Bosnia-Herzegovina, he came on in the 76th minute in Toronto and scored only two minutes later. The goal propelled Canada’s successful group-stage campaign, and he found the back of the net against a full-strength Qatar side as well.

Jesse Marsch: C+

The inspirational manager set the template that allowed Canada to advance to the Round of 16. He deserves high praise for that, and under his leadership the Canadian men have established themselves as a serious international proposition. But his post-match, on-camera huddle after the South Africa win was, frankly, embarrassing, and his tactical inflexibility was occasionally baffling.

More broadly, some of Canada’s biggest World Cup moments were delivered through mindset, enjoyed by enthusiastic fans and covered well, if unevenly, by the host broadcaster.

Attitude: A+

Marsch gets his flowers for this. Ahead of every match and following each result, good or bad, the Canadian men’s national team showed resolve, confidence and a genuinely upbeat disposition that helped make its World Cup journey all the more enjoyable. It was a pleasure to watch.

Execution: A-

As a group, Canada did exactly what was asked of it. The players bought into Marsch’s system, implemented it to a tee and gave some very good teams some very strong headaches as a result. But for better finishing, Canada might have led 2-0 at the break against Morocco, such was its dominance in those 45 minutes.

Coverage: C-

TSN’s coverage of the Canadian men was passable but tended to speak at a level its audience has largely surpassed. With all due respect to the ex-players on the panels, fans in this country deserve better than cliches about “effort” and “playing your game,” and the vibes-heavy analysis about “how we feel in this moment” was cringe-worthy at times. Nevertheless, it is always preferable to have domestic match commentators, and that’s something the host broadcaster has consistently delivered.

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Co-hosting: A+

Canada revelled in its home games, but most other national teams enjoyed their stays in this country as well. Portugal boss Roberto Martinez was especially pleased, and the fans outside Cristiano Ronaldo’s hotel room could have passed for a Lisbon crowd. That the Toronto and Vancouver grounds are actually within city limits (and central, really) wasn’t lost on anyone who’d been to a suburban American parking lot with an NFL stadium attached, and fanzones across the country were extremely popular.

This country aced the co-hosting gig, and its Canadian team exceeded expectations.

All in all, the term was a successful one. And while certain things can still be improved, there’s no denying that Canada — the nation and the squad — can enter the rest of the summer with backs straighter, heads higher and strides prouder.

winnipegfreepress.com/jerradpeters