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Nobody expected Canada to tie their first match. No one expected Jonathan David to do this in the second either.
Jonathan David’s hat-trick propelled Canada to a historic 6-0 victory over Qatar at Vancouver’s BC Place, with Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba also scoring, and Mohamed Manai adding an own goal to complete the rout.
It was a performance that re-announced Canada to the world, loud, dominant and absolutely convincing from the first whistle.
Canada had 97 touches in the attacking third, 26 more than any other team ever recorded in a single World Cup match.
They didn’t just beat Qatar. They suffocated them.
Qatar finished with nine men, Homam El Amin was sent off for a last-man foul on Tajon Buchanan in the first half, and Assim Madibo was sent off for a brutal tackle that left Canadian midfielder Ismael Koné with a serious leg injury.
It was the darkest moment of the night and the most emotional response immediately followed.
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Saliba, who replaced the injured Koné, scored Canada’s fourth goal from a free kick and, instead of celebrating, raised his teammate’s shirt in a gesture that stopped the entire stadium.
Canada’s six-goal margin of victory is the largest ever achieved by a CONCACAF team in a World Cup and equals the largest victory ever recorded by a host nation.
With four points from two games, Canada sits first in Group B and only needs a draw against Switzerland on June 24 to win the group.
From a country that had never won a World Cup match before Thursday, Canada is now the leader of its group and the entire tournament is starting to notice.
