Canada head coach Jesse Marsch has defiantly claimed his side were the better team despite a 3-0 defeat to Morocco in the World Cup last-16 on Tuesday, insisting they 'totally controlled the match.'
Marsch's bullish assessment
Speaking after the match in which Morocco advanced to the quarter-finals, Marsch said: 'We totally controlled the match. We were the ones more likely to win the game, but goals change games so they could sit back. But overall in the match we were better than them.' He added that before the tournament, a last-16 finish would have been satisfying, and given the performance, 'you'd think we were going to win the match.'
Ouahbi's rebuttal
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi strongly disagreed with Marsch's assessment. 'It takes some nerve to say that when you lose 3-0,' Ouahbi said, though he did praise Canada's intensity and explained he changed his approach to evade their press by playing balls behind the defensive line.
Match dominance and key moments
Canada dominated the first half, restricting Morocco to just one touch in their box. However, Azzedine Ounahi's strike five minutes into the second half opened the scoring, setting Morocco on course for a 3-0 victory. Marsch expressed frustration at the first two goals, citing an unnecessary foul leading to the free-kick for the opener and a bad giveaway for the second.
Davies injury and future hopes
Canada were without Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies due to a hamstring injury. Davies felt discomfort in training on Friday, and despite a scan showing no injury, the team decided not to risk him. The 25-year-old tested the injury at half-time but was deemed too risky to play. Marsch challenged his players to maintain the standard set in the tournament: 'Can we hold that standard? Can we build that into the youth? Can we build a real Canadian DNA?'
Pride in performance
Despite the defeat, Marsch expressed pride in his squad: 'In terms of making the country proud the players couldn't have done more.' Canada's World Cup journey ends in the last-16, but Marsch remains optimistic about the future of Canadian soccer.
