Morocco has reached the quarterfinals for the second straight World Cup after knocking off co-hosts Canada 3-0 in Houston on Saturday.
In a match that featured a spicy first half with more yellow cards (6) than shots (5), Canada had the better of the play over the opening 45 minutes but were unable to score. With the match goalless at halftime, an opportunity was there for Morocco.
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The breakthrough for the Atlas Lions would come in the 50th minute and ended up being enough to get past Canada.
Morocco’s Soufiane Rahimi was taken out along the sidelines by Canada defender Luc de Fougerolles to earn the seventh yellow card of the match. On the ensuing free kick, which was definitely something off the training ground, Achraf Hakimi delivered a pass to the top of the penalty arc to find Azzedine Ounahi, who drilled a shot to the bottom right corner past Maxime Crépeau for a 1-0 lead.
The goal changed the game script. After a first half that saw Canada have the better scoring chances and Morocco struggling to create, the final 45 minutes saw Morocco in charge and Canada left to chase an equalizer.
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Canada manager Jesse Marsch made changes in order to unlock the Morocco defense, but they did not lead to a positive outcome. Those changes did not see the inclusion of the dangerous Alphonso Davies, who played only 15 total minutes in this World Cup as he has entered the tournament carrying a hamstring injury.
Ounahi would get his brace with an 82nd-minute dagger to put the match out of reach.
Pushing for an equalizer, Canada was left stretched and exposed in the back. That allowed Brahim Díaz space on the right flank to drive into the Canada penalty box, cut and just get enough of the ball to set up Ounahi for a second goal.
Soufiane Rahimi would add a third for Morocco in the final minute of second-half stoppage time.
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Morocco, which reached the semifinals and finished fourth in the 2022 World Cup, will now face France on Thursday in Boston (4 p.m. ET, Fox).
