HOUSTON, TX – Ahead of a practice session in the Texas heat, the men’s national team says it isn’t paying attention to outside expectations as it prepares for the biggest match in the team’s history.
“Maybe from the outside people are writing us off or saying that we’re the underdog” said Team Canada defender Niko Sigur. “But we don’t look into that at all. We want to go into every game trying to win.”
The Canadians trained in Houston on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s Round of 16 match against Morocco. The Moroccan team is the highest-ranked opponent Canada has faced at the FIFA World Cup.
They are hoping to create more moments like the one on Sunday, when a late-game goal by Stephen Eustaquio against South Africa in Los Angeles, brought millions across Canada to their feet. The goal launched the team and the country one step further into uncharted World Cup territory.
“To kind of give the country that moment and unite the country like we did with that goal was special for us,” said defender Luc de Fougerolles before Thursday’s workout. “I think it pushes us even more to give them more moments like that.”
Standing in Canada’s way is the Moroccan side that came into the tournament ranked sixth in the world and fresh off a dramatic penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands, after the teams played to a 1-1 draw.
The Atlas Lions reached the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and defeated Canada 2-1 during the group stage of that tournament. Morocco also features Montreal-born goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, known as Bono, who starred again by stopping a Dutch penalty in Monday’s shootout.
Canada — ranked 30th in the world — knows it will need to perform at a level greater than the sum of its parts. “We’re very group-oriented, knowing we have a guy always behind you to help,” Sigur said. “We’re going to need to be together against this team.”
The winner of Saturday’s match in Houston, TX, will advance to the quarterfinals, where a meeting with tournament favourite France is among the possible next-round matchups.
Meanwhile, World Cup action continues in Vancouver on Thursday night, when the Swiss face Algeria in the Round of 32 at BC Place. It’s the game Canada would have hosted had the team fared better on June 24 against Switzerland. Instead, the Swiss earned the opportunity to remain on the West Coast after defeating Canada 2-1 in the group stage, denying the Canadians a chance to stay in Vancouver for the knockout rounds.
The winner of Thursday night’s match will return to BC Place for the tournament’s final match in Vancouver, Tuesday July 7, before the World Cup concludes entirely in the United States.
With files from The Canadian Press
