David GOMBE
Alphonso Davies scored Canada’s first ever World Cup goal in their 4-1 defeat to 2018 runners up Croatia.
His goal was not enough to inspire Canada to their first win at the global showpiece.
The North American side become the second nation to bow out of the competition with a game to go after suffering two group stage defeats. They join hosts Qatar who were also eliminated at the group phase.
Andrej Kramaric equalised from a tight angle after having an earlier game ruled out for offside. Marko Livaja, who replaced Nikola Vlasic for this match, then added a second from just outside the area before half-time.
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Kramaric and Majer added second-half goals to add gloss to the scoreline.
This is the first time in 36 years that Canada are taking part in the tournament.
His nation might be out of the competition but Davie wrote history once again as he became the first player to score for Canada at the world cup.
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Davies is the first Bayern player to score at a FIFA World cup since Mario Götze’s goal in the 2014 final.
A boy whose journey began in Buduburam, a Ghanaian refugee camp after his parents had fled the civil war in Liberia. Life was fraught with difficulties. The search for clean water, food, simply staying alive; every hour that passed a triumph of survival.
His parents fled the country following the Second Liberian Civil and eventually emigrated to Canada in 2005, with the family settling in Edmonton.
Davies’ talent was quickly spotted and he relocated to Vancouver to join the Whitecaps FC Residency program when he was 14.
He signed a professional contract with the Vancouver Whitecaps and made his debut in July 2016. At the time, he was the second youngest player to make his MLS debut, behind only Freddy Adu.
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Davies became a Canadian citizen in 2017 and on the same day was added to the senior team camp. He made his debut at the age of 16.
In July 2018, he joined Bayern Munich for £10m, plus add-ons, in what was the record deal for an MLS player at the time. A figure later eclipsed by Miguel Almiron.
Davies is now the face of Canadian soccer and his fairytale is barely beyond the first chapter.
Canada will now look to thwart Morocco’s quest to advance to the knockouts in their finale on Thursday. Croatia will face off with Belgium on the same day for a place in the last 16.
