Canada's Jonathan David celebrates after scoring their second goal during the World Cup match against Qatar in Vancouver, on June 18.Emma Peterson/The Associated Press
After a hard-fought loss to Morocco in the round of 16 on Saturday, Canada is out of the World Cup. But the team made history this year, earning its first-ever win in the tournament – on home soil, no less – and also winning its first knockout game.
On July 8, sports writers Cathal Kelly, Paul Attfield, Neil Davidson and David Ebner answered your questions about the World Cup, Canada’s loss to Morocco and what’s next for the team. Here are some highlights from the Q&A.
The tournament
Switzerland's Nico Elvedi during the second half hydration break vs. Columbia.Agustin Marcarian/Reuters
FIFA seems to be on its way to a four-quarter game, with bloated stoppage and bigger advertising bucks. What rule changes, if any, would you support to streamline the game once more?
Cathal Kelly: One of the great annoyances of the game is that, regardless of what has happened on the field, stoppage time after the first half is always two or three minutes. After 90, it’s always five or six. Increasingly, at big games, it’s seven or eight. It’s obvious that the clock has nothing to do with it. The referee is vibing.
A change I would make? Upon entering stoppage time, the time on the referee’s watch becomes visible to all. No more vibing when the game should end. This doesn’t eliminate the problem of bloated stoppage times in the first place, but might introduce some rigour back into the process.
Neil Davidson: Ironically, changes were made prior to the tournament to speed up the game.
Referees can now initiate a five-second visual countdown to speed up goal kicks and throw-ins. If the ball is not in play at the end of the countdown, a delayed goal kick will result in a corner kick to the opposing team or the throw-in awarded to the opposing team.
And a player being substituted must leave the pitch within 10 seconds, or else their replacement won’t be allowed on to the field until the first stoppage after a minute of play has elapsed.
But those moves were overshadowed by the hydration break in the middle of each half, which now draw boos at the tournament.
The three-minute breaks were sold as a player welfare measure. But they were quickly seen as a way of adding commercial breaks, interrupting a sport that prides itself on its uninterrupted flow.
After the hype around the World Cup, do you think attendance for MLS games will rise substantially in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver?
David Ebner: Canada remains a hockey country. But interest in soccer percolates for sure. I don’t think you’ll see a substantial surge, but hopefully a sustained interest, at the MLS level and for the sport in general.
Between the Balogun incident and now the questionable refereeing in the Argentina game, is FIFA destroying its own product?
Kelly: As long as you and I are talking about FIFA destroying their product, I’ll know they aren’t doing that. It’s when you and I stop talking about it that they’re in trouble.
Nothing that’s happened here suggests to me that this World Cup has been anything but a roaring success for FIFA.
It certainly helps that the U.S. was hammered by Belgium, and that Messi is still in the tournament. It’s hard to build a consensus of rage around two outcomes that the vast majority of people wanted.
England's Jude Bellingham celebrates with teammate Harry Kane after scoring his team's first goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Mexico and England in Mexico City on July 5.Natacha Pisarenko/The Associated Press
Which match, to each of you, has been the best so far by whatever criteria you choose?
Davidson: Belgium’s late rally against Senegal in the round of 32 and Argentina’s round of 16 comeback against Egypt were memorable.
But I’ll choose England’s gritty round of 16 win over Mexico.
A delayed kickoff, iconic venue at altitude in Azteca Stadium and fired-up home crowd of 80,824 helped turn up the tension. England led 2-0 thanks to the brilliant Jude Bellingham, only to see Julian Quinones cut the lead with a marvellous strike. Then England’s Jarell Quansah was sent off.
Cool as ice, captain Harry Kane provided England with some breathing space with a 60th-minute penalty. But Mexico answered with a Raul Jimenez penalty of its own to set up a tense finish that included 11 minutes of nervy stoppage time with Mexico storming the English end.
It marked Mexico’s first-ever World Cup loss at its storied Mexico City home and the first time the home side had conceded three goals at the stadium since Brazil did it in 1966.
Kelly: As a live experience, Canada vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, the opener.
As a watched one, the last 20 minutes of Argentina-Egypt. Was Egypt robbed? Maybe. But that didn’t diminish the ‘Oh wow!’ factor of watching Lionel Messi grab a World Cup elimination game by the lapels and start shaking it around.
Ultimately, was the World Cup worth the $1B price tag for Canada? Was it the best use of our money?
Kelly: I suppose that’s up to all of us to decide.
Best use of money? Obviously not, because I didn’t get any of it.
Worth it? I thought so, because why not? It encouraged people to get out of their houses and get together with their neighbours. It created a sense of national connection. It showed the world that whenever you see our name in the news, it isn’t always because a terrible thing happened or we’re complaining about something.
To me, that’s worth a billion dollars. But I don’t presume to answer for you.
The Canadians
Canada's Alphonso Davies runs with the ball against South Africa during the World Cup Round of 32.FRANK GUNN/The Canadian Press
Did Bayern Munich dictate to Canada Soccer that Alphonso Davies had to sit on the sidelines in the final game we played?
Davidson: Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue says while the Canadian medical staff was in regular contact with Bayern Munich, his availability at the tournament was up to the national team. But Davies also had a say in the matter and his verdict apparently was he was not good to go against Morocco despite a clear MRI.
And whatever Canada Soccer says, there has been friction in the past between club and country over Davies’ health. The fact that Davies brought his personal trainer Matthias Blankenburg to the World Cup speaks volumes in my book.
I’m guessing Davies was also thinking about where he gets his regular paycheque.
Paul Attfield: I did hear that Bayern essentially wanted him to play no part in the tournament. And given that Munich just paid out US$63-million for Nathaniel Brown, a German national team player who plays the same position as Davies, I’m sure the Canadian captain knows he’s going to have a fight on his hands for his starting spot when he gets to training camp next month. So it makes you wonder how much he was willing to risk his club career for his country’s World Cup hopes?
What happened at half-time during the Morocco match? Why did we collapse?
Ebner: I sometimes like to guess on the human psychology of it all.
Canada finally started strong against a good team. But, you know, Canada came in ranked 30th and it eventually showed. The start of the second half, tied at zero, knockout game, to get to the quarters, it was winning time. Canada gave all it could and couldn’t score in the first half. Deflating and semi-exhausting. Morocco, one of the top teams, took the blows, didn’t bend, and when it counted most, met the moment. One team delivered – the better team.
Attfield: I’m not sure it was so much Canada collapsing as it was Morocco waking up. In the first half, Morocco - the world’s No. 7-ranked team - seemed more than a little off. Their passes were missing target and they genuinely seemed to be suffering a case of nerves. Unfortunately for Canada, they were unable to capitalize on that - with Tani Oluwaseyi chief among those who spurned chances.
But whatever Moroccan coach Mohamed Ouahbi said at halftime had the desired effect, and Morocco seemed a far more focused team in the second half, jumping in front on a set play and then further capitalizing on the open spaces as Canada tried forlornly to get back into the contest.
So what happens to the Canadian men’s national team schedule now?
Davidson: There are two FIFA international windows (Sept. 21-Oct. 6 and Nov. 9-17) left for the men this year. So Canada will return to action then and Blue says there will be home games in those windows. For players whose leagues are still in session, they return to their clubs.
Toronto FC gave Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea a few days off to decompress, but GM Jason Hernandez says they will be available for selection when Major League Soccer resumes play after the World Cup break. TFC’s next game is July 16 at CF Montreal.
Canada coach Jesse Marsch celebrates after the match.Agustin Marcarian/Reuters
Do you think Jesse Marsch is the right guy to lead Canada going forward?
Attfield: Increasingly Jesse Marsch feels like a polarizing figure - on both sides of the Atlantic - given his mannerisms and some curious post-game quotes on Saturday.
However, given the somewhat limited talent pool currently at his disposal, I think reaching the last 16 was about as good as Canada could realistically expect at a World Cup. Marsch may not be the guy when, and if, the Canadian men become a consistent top-20 soccer country, but for now he seems like an adequate coach to keep the program ticking upwards.
Canada’s performance captivated our country. Does it mean more money will flow to Canada Soccer, or any other national soccer organization? Can you share more about how a team’s performance at the FIFA World Cup translates into national funding?
Davidson: Canada Soccer, the governing body for the sport, gets US$16-million for reaching the round of 16. That’s on top of the US$2.5 million that all 48 teams received from FIFA to help prepare for the tournament.
The participating teams each made US$10-million for qualifying for the tournament. Canada earned an extra US$6-million for making it to the second knockout round.
The 26 players on the roster receive $75,000 for the three games in the group stage ($25,000 per game). As for the US$6-million made in the knockout rounds, that will be split between Canada Soccer and both the men’s and women’s teams (as part of the pay equity provisions in their collective agreement). The women will operate under similar terms at their World Cup next year.
Finally the players receive $30,000 each as part of the “World Cup Friends & Family” program, intended to help get loved ones to the games.
Canada Soccer also expects a hefty chunk of coin in the form of legacy funding as co-host from FIFA. No details have been released as of yet, but Canada Soccer hopes to use the money to help fund a national training centre.
The beautiful game
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their second goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, on July 7.Uncredited/The Associated Press
Do you think the refereeing in the Egypt-Argentina game was fair and balanced?
Ebner: I am not a professional referee. It is unfortunate that great Egypt goal was called back. I note as others have Salah shook hands with the refs after, and held back his teammates from post-match debates. A pro. And a great run. But it seems VAR has run against smaller countries. Coincidence, surely!
Attfield: The interpretation of fair is always going to be a subjective thing, but I will say that my biggest gripe with Tuesday’s Egypt-Argentina match was more the use of VAR. When it was brought in we were told it was not going to be used to re-referee the game, and yet that increasingly seems to be how it is used.
What or who determines where players of both teams stand while waiting for a corner kick? Sometimes players swarm the goalie, other times they all stand 15 feet away.
Attfield: Given that you can’t be offside directly from a corner kick, players will stand wherever they want - or wherever the coach wants them to.
However, given the increase in the clutching and grabbing before and during corner kicks, I can envision IFAB - the board which looks after the laws of the game - taking a look at it at some point in the future. However, FIFA said in March it has no plans of changing them right now.
Which World Cup nations do you see dominating football in 2050?
Kelly: I’ll use the recent past as a guide to the near future. Who dominates it now? Europe, with a smattering of South America.
Who dominated it 25 years ago? Europe, with a smattering of South America.
Who dominated it 25 years before that? You see where I’m going with this.
That may change in 100 years, but I don’t think it will change much in the next 25. Those generations are already locked in.
That said, there’s always a black swan. I expect that some African nation - maybe it’s Morocco - will become an entrenched football superpower soon.