“A pig of a game,” said Richie Sadlier in a blunt, but not unfair, assessment of Sunday night’s match between co-hosts Canada and South Africa in LA that had echoes of Kieran McGeeney about it.
The opening game in the Round of 32 was hardly an endorsement of the World Cup’s new enlarged format, but the upside is that it’s hard to imagine how any of the remaining games in the tournament could be worse.
With both countries appearing in their first World Cup knockout game, they looked like they were going to knock the most out of the occasion by sending the match to extra time. Thankfully, Stephen Eustáquio – in familiar surrounds having spent the last season on loan at Los Angeles FC from Porto – spared us, sealing the win for Canada with a goal two minutes into second-half stoppage time.
Canada had looked the most like scoring, particularly once captain Alphonso Davies was introduced on 75 minutes, but both sides showed a lack of quality that will leave Canada’s Round-of-16 opponents feeling confident of a place in the last eight. The winner of tonight’s game between the Netherlands and Morocco will face the Canadians in Houston on Saturday, and while they mightn’t pay Les Rouges the disrespect of making plans for the quarter-finals just yet, you’d doubt they’ll be keeping an eye out for flights home on Sunday.
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The game was plagued by sloppiness, to the point that it seemed like players were actively trying to pass to their opponents. South Africa were particularly guilty of coughing up possession, while Canada had goal chances but were let down by their execution.
James McClean, alongside Sadlier on punditry for RTÉ, described it as “like watching the Chuckle Brothers”, and when asked to pick out passages of poor play from the first half suggested showing the entire opening 45 minutes. “Please don’t, once was enough,” viewers thought in unison.
Things improved somewhat after the break as both sides went in search of a winner. It looked to have arrived for Canada on 65 minutes when Tani Oluwaseyi had a run in on goal but drew a great save from Ronwen Williams. The rebounding ball was on a path to present Jonathan David with a nailed-on score were it not for a stellar clearance from defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
For their part, the South Africans managed a handful of shots, but most were sent sailing over the crossbar as if they were practising drop goals for the Springboks.
But a score three minutes from the full-time whistle is a cruel way to be knocked out of a World Cup. So, in spite of their performance on the night, South Africa deserve a hat tip for getting that far when so many others (ahem) did not.
Results:
Round of 32 – South Africa 0 Canada 1 (Eustáquio 90+2)
Goal of the day: Some stiff competition here. Yes, the goal of the day must go to the only goal of the day. But to give Stephen Eustáquio his dues, it was a pretty nice slot home. Jacob Shaffelburg floated the ball towards the box where the South African defender tended to the immediate danger with a headed clearance. But the in-trotting Eustáquio took the ball on the chest, controlling it nicely to send his shot in long and low from the edge of the area to find the bottom-left corner unimpeded.
Moment of the day: The result was Canada’s first win in a World Cup knockout fixture. Head coach Jesse Marsch marked the occasion by gathering his squad in a huddle on the pitch, where TV cameras picked up his spirited team talk, describing his players as “Canadian heroes”. Yes, parts waded towards cringey waters, but let them have their inspirational sports movie-esque moment.
Picture of the day: Canada were probably right to feel aggrieved when referee João Pinheiro said play on after Richie Laryea had a coming together with South Africa’s Thapelo Maseko in the box. When the half-time whistle blew moments later, Marsch made a beeline for Pinheiro, but was stopped on the way by Moise Bombito, who set his gaffer straight. Perhaps worth noting that Marsch is American. A mild-mannered Canadian would never.
Question of the day: The venue for last night’s game – SoFi Stadium (or, as Fifa would like us to call it, Los Angeles Stadium) – is the home of which two NFL teams? (Answer below)
Coming up today:
Round of 32 – Brazil v Japan (6pm Irish time, RTÉ2 & UTV)
Round of 32 – Germany v Paraguay (9.30pm, RTÉ2 & UTV)
Round of 32 – Netherlands v Morocco (2am, RTÉ2 & UTV)
Elsewhere in sport: Ahead of Ireland’s opening Nations Championship game against Australia on Saturday, Gerry Thornley chatted to James Ryan, who’s relishing a return down under, and Paul O’Connell, who says he’d happily stick with the Irish set-up alongside Andy Farrell if they’ll have him.
In GAA, Malachy Clerkin brings us up to date after the All-Ireland SFC has been narrowed down to four counties, while Paul Fitzpatrick takes a closer look at the weekend’s quarter-finals. And in golf, Denis Walsh asks whether Shane Lowry wants it too much after a series of painful near-misses.
Answer to question: The Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers.
