Sports

2022 FIFA World Cup: What we learned as Canada bows out in loss to Morocco

Published

2 years ago

December 1, 2022

Harry Miller

AL THUMAMA, Qatar – Football, be it the American variety or otherwise, is a game of inches.

The Canadian men’s national team learned that the hard way on Thursday, as it has in all three World Cup games.

The 2-1 defeat to Morocco at Al Thumama Stadium really stuck out in that regard. Two headers from Atiba Hutchinson (off the crossbar) and Alistair Johnston (narrowly over the bar), was all that separated Canada between a sixth consecutive World Cup defeat and its first-ever point.

“Two inches,” said a lamented Canada coach John Herdman in his post-match press conference. “Two inches from getting our first result.”

Ultimately, sports are a results-based business and in due time, there will be enough discourse to fill a book on the men’s national team’s outlook for the 2026 World Cup after its first tournament in 36 years.

For now, though, here’s what we learned from a fascinating and entertaining 2-1 loss.

2022 FIFA World Cup

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BORJAN EXPOSED AGAIN

Mark this game down with the 2019 Gold Cup quarterfinal versus Haiti as a match that Milan Borjan may never forget for all the wrong reasons.

Four minutes in, Steven Vitoria hit an undercooked pass that casually rolled toward Borjan as the defender attempted to evade pressure from Youssef En-Nesyri. With the Moroccan striker closing in on Borjan, the Canadian No. 1 compounded the error with a half-hearted pass right to the foot of Hakim Ziyech, who chipped the ball into an open goal.

Just under 20 minutes later, a lofted ball over the top of Canada’s defence – arguably its major weakness – landed at En-Nesyri’s feet and he doubled Morocco’s lead.

Normally, goalkeepers will position themselves just outside the top of their box, sometimes even further up the pitch, when the ball is in the opposition’s half. Then, if a long pass is attempted and a defender can’t deal with it in the air, the goalkeeper will sweep it away.

Unfortunately for Canada, Borjan was nowhere to be found. Potentially due to the early error, he opted to retreat to his goal, allowing En-Nesyri to latch onto the ball and double the lead.

Borjan isn’t the only one to blame, of course. It was Vitoria who was uncomfortable under pressure when he had the ball. He also could’ve dealt with the long pass. Ditto for Kamal Miller, whose lack of pace on the turn cost him on the second goal. But this is where an alert and adventurous goalkeeper comes in handy if those frailties are exploited.

For all the talk of “traditional goalkeeping” at this World Cup, today’s game sometimes calls for more modern methods.

If Borjan eventually steps aside, Maxime Crepeau and Dayne St. Clair are capable of fulfilling these tasks. They certainly could’ve used them on Thursday in those situations.

DOUBLE PIVOT ISSUES

Herdman has leaned on a double pivot, usually with Junior Hoilett or one of the defenders providing extra cover in certain situations.

Hutchinson’s load management and Stephen Eustaquio’s hamstring injury meant that the go-to options were not capable of starting the match. Couple that with the obvious attacking quality, and the method makes sense from Herdman’s perspective.

“We’re always trying to get as many wide players deployed,” Herdman explained when asked why he didn’t start with a trio to match up with Morocco’s midfield. “[With] players that can play inside with double width, it’s difficult to play that extra midfielder and when I look at the quality around my team, you always see our quality in areas where we’re trying to ensure we’re on the front foot.”

However, the decision to start a rusty Mark-Anthony Kaye with Toronto FC teammate Jonathan Osorio wasn’t without its issues. For starters, they were getting stretched off the ball. Plus, in order to release the full-backs and wingers into space, they needed to shuffle across and play off those players.

In order to utilize a successful double pivot, the midfielders need to be incredibly active and fast to cover all that ground. Osorio’s distribution was solid but ask him to play box-to-box in a pivot, and there’ll be trouble.

Both players started in similar roles versus the United States in World Cup Qualifying last January and were below average. The U.S. just failed to capitalize on all the open space in transition.

Eventually, changes arrived in the form of Atiba Hutchinson and Ismael Kone. Hutchinson shielded the defence, Kone played more advanced, and in an effort to enable fellow substitute Richie Laryea to bomb forward, Johnston tucked inside as an inverted full-back for added midfield cover.

“We were planning to adapt after the first 20 [minutes] into that 5-3-2,” Herdman said. “I think it sort of made a difference.”

It was far more impactful in the second half once Kone, who has the dynamism and vision to handle the rigours of playing in an end-to-end match. To the 20-year-old’s credit, he was excellent while Hutchinson orchestrated beautifully from the back.

INVERTED WINGERS

From the outset, Tajon Buchanan and Alphonso Davies were playing inverted, with Buchanan on the left and Davies on the right.

It wasn’t paying off too much, but there was a method to the madness.

“Buchanan’s work as a wingback at Club Brugge is more of a two-way of playing,” Herdman said.

That would ideally enable Buchanan to provide some defensive cover for Sam Adekugbe against Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi but that didn’t really happen based on the average positioning (Buchanan is No. 11).

As for Davies, Morocco’s pattern of conceding goals meant Davies could’ve been a useful weapon on the right wing.

“We wanted to have that right foot coming in off the line if you look at the goals Morocco concede,” said Herdman. “We knew that work on the byline would be difficult so there was something about trying to get [Davies] released on the inside on his left foot coming inside to be able to take opportunities at the top of the box.”

Ultimately, the goal was created via Adekugbe down the left flank with Buchanan positioned nearby for quick flick-ons, so the strategy, while understandable, didn’t exactly pay off.

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Sports

Red Wings sign Moritz Seider to 7-year deal worth nearly $60M

Published

3 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.

The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.

Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.

He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.

Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.

Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.

The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.

Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.

Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.

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Veterans Tyson Beukeboom, Karen Paquin lead Canada’s team at WXV rugby tournament

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

Veterans Tyson Beukeboom and Karen Paquin will lead Canada at the WXV 1 women’s rugby tournament starting later this month in the Vancouver area.

WXV 1 includes the top three teams from the Women’s Six Nations (England, France and Ireland) and the top three teams from the Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand, and the United States).

Third-ranked Canada faces No. 4 France, No. 7 Ireland and No. 1 England in the elite division of the three-tiered WXV tournament that runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 in Vancouver and Langley, B.C. No. 2 New Zealand and the eighth-ranked U.S. make up the six-team WVX 1 field.

“Our preparation time was short but efficient. This will be a strong team,” Canada coach Kevin Rouet said in a statement. “All the players have worked very hard for the last couple of weeks to prepare for WXV and we are excited for these next three matches and for the chance to play on home soil here in Vancouver against the best rugby teams in the world.

“France, Ireland and England will each challenge us in different ways but it’s another opportunity to test ourselves and another step in our journey to the Rugby World Cup next year.”

Beukeboom serves as captain in the injury absence of Sophie de Goede. The 33-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont., earned her Canadian-record 68th international cap in Canada’s first-ever victory over New Zealand in May at the Pacific Four Series.

Twenty three of the 30 Canadian players selected for WXV 1 were part of that Pacific Four Series squad.

Rouet’s roster includes the uncapped Asia Hogan-Rochester, Caroline Crossley and Rori Wood.

Hogan-Rochester and Crossley were part of the Canadian team that won rugby sevens silver at the Paris Olympics, along with WXV teammates Fancy Bermudez, Olivia Apps, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry. Wood is a veteran of five seasons at UBC.

The 37-year-old Paquin, who has 38 caps for Canada including the 2014 Rugby World Cup, returns to the team for the first time since the 2021 World Cup.

Canada opens the tournament Sept. 29 against France at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver before facing Ireland on Oct. 5 at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, and England on Oct. 12 at B.C. Place.

The second-tier WXV 2 and third-tier WXV 3 are slated to run Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, in South Africa and Dubai, respectively.

WXV 2 features Australia, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales while WXV 3 is made up of Fiji, Hong Kong, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.

The tournament has 2025 World Cup qualification implications, although Canada, New Zealand and France, like host England, had already qualified by reaching the semifinals of the last tournament.

Ireland, South Africa, the U.S., Japan, Fiji and Brazil have also booked their ticket, with the final six berths going to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through regional tournaments.

Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team WXV 1 Squad

Forwards

Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Stade Français Paris (France); Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Gloucester-Hartpury (England); Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., College Rifles RFC; Sara Cline, Edmonton, Leprechaun Tigers; Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England);

Backs

Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, Toronto Nomads; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que, Stade Bordelais (France); Mahalia Robinson, Fulford, Que., Town of Mount Royal RFC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Saracens (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., Westshore RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.

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Vancouver Canucks star goalie Thatcher Demko working through rare muscle injury

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

PENTICTON, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he’s been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season’s playoffs.

The 28-year-old all star says the rehabilitation process has been frustrating, but he has made good progress in recent weeks and is confident he’ll be able to return to playing.

He says he and his medical team have spent the last few months talking to specialists around the world, and have not found a single other hockey player who has dealt with the same injury.

Demko missed several weeks of the last season with a knee ailment and played just one game in Vancouver’s playoff run last spring before going down with the current injury.

He was not on the ice with his teammates as the Canucks started training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday, but skated on his own before the sessions began.

Demko posted a 35-14-2 record with a .918 percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts for Vancouver last season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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