Canadian men's historic World Cup run ends as Morocco wins Round of 16 match, 3-0

Throughout this World Cup, benches have been adorned with banners bearing each country’s name and colours. They’ve traveled, like the teams, arriving just ahead of them. The same banner has been used for every game, like a battle flag. They are more than bunting. They have become talismans. 

On Saturday, Canada’s banner was there again, stretched across the Houston Stadium dugout beside fearsome Morocco’s deeper shade of red. Forty-eight banners had been made for this World Cup; by kickoff, only 16 still saw the light. Germany’s had been packed away. Croatia and Uruguay and the Netherlands no longer needed theirs, either.

Now, Canada’s, too, will be folded up one last time. A 3-0 loss to heavily favoured Morocco ended our men’s use for it, along with their wildest dreams.

From the beginning of this epic, sprawling tournament, the Round of 16 felt like this team’s high-water mark. It is very good, better than it is has ever been by an unfathomable margin. Canada’s men were ranked 120th as recently as 2017. They were ranked 30th at Saturday’s kickoff, an incredible climb.

But the gap between them and Morocco, who slipped from sixth to seventh in FIFA’s rankings overnight, remained as undeniable as gravity. This team made history, and it was all the history it was likely in them to make.

Canada opened the game almost shockingly composed. For the entire tournament, head coach Jesse Marsch has prescribed urgency, pace, haste. He wanted everything done in a hurry, refusing to give the opposition a chance to organize. Canada couldn’t compete with technique; its avenues were athleticism and desire.

Against Morocco, a new Canada began to emerge. Our men remained driven. They also looked patient, probing, analytical.

They conceded