Alphonso Davies to start for Canada in FIFA World Cup opener

tomtidgewellNovember 24, 2022

The Bayern Munich winger injured his hamstring in the German Bundesliga match against Hertha Berlin on 5 November and has not played since.

Canada’s Alfonso Davies looks dejected after Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois saves a penalty kick at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Photo: Kai Pfaffenbach /Reuters

AL RAYYAN, Qatar — Most of the questions for Canadian head coach John Harman were about the health of his star player Alphonso Davies during the opening game against Belgium at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.

The Bayern Munich winger injured his hamstring in the German Bundesliga match against Hertha Berlin on 5 November and has not played since.

The question was answered when Davis took on the former world No. 1 side on Wednesday, taking a position on the left side of midfield with the rest of the team and playing all 90 minutes.

Apparently, through all of Edmonton’s offerings over the past year, he wasn’t going to deny himself the chance to play in the biggest and most watched tournament in the world.

Sorry, this video could not be loaded.

“I don’t think there was any doubt about starting him[if he was healthy]but you have to follow the doctor’s advice. That’s always part of it,” Hardman said at the pre-match press conference. “First and foremost, our goal has always been the safety of our players, so we had to manage that process. As a coach, when I get a (medical) report, I always sit there frustrated.” ”

It’s been 36 years since Canada qualified for the Men’s World Cup, but the thought of returning to the Men’s World Cup stirs up strong emotions. When Davis first got injured, most Canadian soccer fans felt a pit in their stomachs, thinking that the most exciting player in Canadian soccer history might not be able to play at the World Cup.

Davis has battled a string of injuries over the past two years, missing seven of the 20 qualifying games Canada had to play to reach Qatar. He missed the decisive win against Jamaica at BMO Field in March due to myocarditis that developed after his match against COVID-19 last Christmas.

Last month, Davis suffered a skull bruise after being kicked in the head in a Bundesliga match. He returned to the Bayern line-up at the end of October, but pulled a hamstring 20 minutes after a 3-2 win against Hertha Berlin.

Davis spent a few days in Germany treating his hamstring, while the rest of the Canadians converged in Doha and traveled to Bahrain and the UAE for exhibition games. Canada beat Japan 2-1 in Dubai and returned to training ahead of their opening match against Belgium.

It wasn’t until Saturday that Davis returned to the field with his Canadian teammates and he slowly regained full fitness. Davis declared himself ready to go two days ago

“When you talk to the players, you have to look them in the eye and understand what they want and how far they’re going to push and you have to ask questions. This is the first game and What’s the risk?; second game risk?” Hardman said. “But at the end of the day, Fonzie is in good shape, he’s hitting his markers and he’s ready. He’s jumping into training and having fun. I hope everyone is doing well.This is an exciting time for us.The dark clouds will change and we will all be 100%.”

Of course, putting Davis on the field in the other two games was risky, and it was thought that Canada had a better chance of winning. However, Hardman hasn’t played it safe since taking over the men’s team, and it’s been going pretty well for him so far.

“I think you have to enjoy the process, enjoy the experience, and enjoy knowing that people at home are huddling around TVs and filling bars and restaurants. It feels great,” Hardman said. . “But to be honest, I haven’t seen much outside the training ground or the hotel. It’s a pretty focused group. I can see the World Cup stadium, the last stadium, from my bedroom window. I keep seeing it every day. We just keep moving forward.”

Heading into the game, Canada weren’t given many chances against Belgium, but should have taken the game to European power and probably won.

Davis had a great opportunity to put Canada up from the penalty spot in the 10th minute, but was stopped by Real Madrid’s Belgian goalkeeper Beaux Courtois.

Canada had 21 goal attempts and Belgium had one chance in the match.

“I thought Fonzie was great tonight. I thought he was more disciplined and showed courage when he needed it,” Hardman said. “I have played against him in the overplay position before and I thought it was perfect tonight. His reaction has been great. I made it.”

Postmedia football expert Derek Van Diest covers all kick-offs of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. subscribe today You can access all his coverage.