BY KUNLE SOLAJA, VANCOUVER.

Canada recorded their first-ever victory at a FIFA World Cup finals in emphatic fashion on Thursday, thrashing nine-man Qatar 6-0 in front of a jubilant home crowd to boost their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

Jonathan David led the rout with a clinical hat-trick as the tournament co-hosts climbed to the top of Group B with four points from two matches. The victory, however, was tempered by an injury to influential midfielder Ismael Kone, who was stretchered off during the second half.

Backed by a passionate sea of red-and-white supporters, Canada took control early and never looked back. Coach Jesse Marsch’s decision to start Cyle Larin alongside the country’s all-time leading scorer David, paid immediate dividends.

Larin opened the scoring in the 16th minute when he reacted quickest to a rebound after Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada had parried David’s initial effort. The striker, who had scored as a substitute in Canada’s opening 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina, justified his promotion to the starting lineup.

Canada doubled their lead in the 29th minute when David powered home a volley from a cross, further energising the 55,000-strong crowd.

Qatar’s hopes of mounting a comeback suffered a major setback shortly afterwards. Although a penalty awarded for El Amin’s challenge on Tajon Buchanan was overturned following a VAR review, the incident still resulted in Homam Ahmed’s yellow card being upgraded to a red card after officials determined the foul occurred outside the penalty area.

David struck again just before halftime, turning home from close range after Abunada had saved Larin’s header, giving Canada a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.

The match took another dramatic turn when Kone was injured following a challenge by Assim Madibo. The Canadian midfielder was carried off on a stretcher, while emotions boiled over among both teams. Madibo was subsequently shown a red card, reducing Qatar to nine men.

Despite concerns over Kone’s condition, there was relief when the 24-year-old was later seen sitting up and waving to supporters with his left leg protected in a large inflatable boot.

Substitute Nathan Saliba, who replaced Kone, paid tribute to his teammate by curling in a free kick for Canada’s fourth goal before celebrating by holding up Kone’s shirt.

Qatar’s miserable evening worsened when midfielder Mohammad Mannai turned the ball into his own net, making it 5-0, before David completed his hat-trick deep into stoppage time to seal a memorable victory.

At the final whistle, Marsch celebrated passionately with the crowd, pumping his fists toward the stands as Canada delivered one of the most impressive performances in the nation’s football history. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was among those in attendance.

“We wanted to play the kind of football that would electrify the crowd. We wanted to showcase the kind of talent, the mentality that we have,” Marsch said after the match.

“There is going to be 40 million Canadians who claim they were in the stadium today. But these 55,000 were lucky.”

The Canada coach also offered an encouraging update on Kone’s injury.

“Ismael will be fine. We will get him good doctors — we’ll get him back. Obviously, our heart is with him, but that kid has got a big future, and he’s a big part of everything we do.”

The result leaves Canada and Switzerland level on four points ahead of their crucial Group B showdown in Vancouver next Wednesday, with the Canadians leading the group on goal difference.

For Qatar, who remain bottom of the group with one point, the defeat leaves their World Cup campaign hanging by a thread. Coach Julen Lopetegui vowed his side would regroup despite losing two players to suspension.

“We have two red cards, so those players are out for the next match,” Lopetegui said. “There is a big difference between the teams, and the next match will be more difficult. But we are not here because someone gave us a place. We are here because we earned it, and we will play and fight until the end.”

Qatar will attempt to revive their hopes when they face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle, while Canada seek to build on their historic breakthrough against Switzerland.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Boston’s bars are bracing for another surge of thirsty Scotland supporters ahead of their team’s World Cup clash against Morocco after the famed Tartan Army nearly drank some establishments dry during the opening weekend of the tournament.

According toa Reuters report, the Scottish fans, attending their country’s first World Cup since 1998, descended on the Massachusetts city in their tens of thousands and celebrated Scotland’s 1-0 victory over Haiti on Saturday with a drinking spree that caught many bar owners off guard.

“I’ve been in this business for over 30 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Billy DeCain, general manager of the Sam Adams Tap Room in downtown Boston.

The unprecedented demand forced the bar to arrange emergency deliveries from a nearby Sam Adams brewery after beer supplies dwindled rapidly during the weekend festivities.

“We just about made it through. If we didn’t have those emergency deliveries, it would have been a tall task,” DeCain said on Wednesday as Scottish supporters gathered for pre-match drinks ahead of Friday’s encounter with Morocco.

Both of Scotland’s opening Group matches are being played at the New England Patriots’ stadium in Foxborough, a suburb of Boston, turning the city into a temporary home for the travelling fans.

DeCain compared the excitement among Scots to the emotions Americans would experience if their favourite National Football League team reached the Super Bowl for the first time.

“You’re on adrenaline all weekend, and you could definitely see that,” he said. “Do they ever sleep? Do they ever get tired? They were back at it the next day at 11 a.m.”

The colourful presence of the Tartan Army has become one of the early highlights of the World Cup in Boston. Thousands of fans marched through the city on Sunday, accompanied by massed bagpipes, before making their way to Fenway Park, the historic home of baseball’s Boston Red Sox.

Their good-natured celebrations have won widespread admiration from local residents and businesses.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu praised the visitors for their passion and enthusiasm, saying the city’s sports-loving culture had formed an instant bond with the Scottish fans.

“We count ourselves as among the most passionate and crazy sports fans anywhere. So, to see that same level of commitment and dedication, that brings true respect,” Wu told Reuters while wearing a Scotland jersey on the steps of Boston City Hall.

“The Scottish fans are the absolute best. They have been incredibly warm, they’ve been supporting our businesses, they have been getting to know our community and treating Boston as if it were another home away from home for them,” she added.

Wu said she hoped the Tartan Army would continue returning to Boston long after the World Cup.

After Friday’s meeting with Morocco, Scotland will travel to Miami for a blockbuster clash against Brazil, while Boston prepares for another influx of overseas supporters when England’s fans arrive ahead of their World Cup match against Ghana in Foxborough next Tuesday.

For local businesses, however, the immediate priority remains ensuring that beer supplies are sufficient to cope with Scotland’s famously festive supporters as the World Cup party continues.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA

Morocco will look to draw inspiration from one of the most memorable victories in their FIFA World Cup history when they face Scotland in a crucial Group C encounter at Boston Stadium on Thursday.

The Atlas Lions head into the match buoyed by their impressive 1-1 draw with five-time champions Brazil in their opening fixture, a result that reinforced Morocco’s growing reputation as one of the most formidable teams on the global stage.

Mohamed Ouahbi’s side will also take confidence from history. The only previous World Cup meeting between the two nations came at France 1998, when Morocco swept Scotland aside 3-0 in Saint-Étienne.

The emphatic victory remains Morocco’s biggest-ever win at the FIFA World Cup.

Morocco announced their intentions in the tournament opener against Brazil when Ismael Saibari stunned the South American giants with a 21st-minute strike. The goal was historic, marking the Atlas Lions’ first-ever World Cup goal against a South American opponent.

Although Brazil eventually fought back to earn a draw, Morocco emerged from the contest with renewed belief ahead of the clash with the Scots.

Scotland arrive in Boston as Group C leaders after edging Haiti 1-0 thanks to a deflected effort from captain John McGinn. The Aston Villa midfielder’s goal not only secured Scotland’s first victory in a World Cup opening match since 1982 but also made him, at 31 years and 238 days, the oldest Scottish player to score at football’s biggest tournament.

Despite Scotland’s strong recent form, Morocco will be encouraged by their own record against European opposition on the World Cup stage. The North Africans have lost only one of their last six group-stage World Cup matches against European teams, winning two and drawing three.

The Atlas Lions have also suffered just two defeats in their last nine World Cup matches, underlining the consistency that has made them one of Africa’s leading representatives in recent years.

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