Marsch on Canada exit: We were the better team
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- Canada was eliminated from the World Cup with a 3-0 round-of-16 loss to Morocco in Houston on Saturday, with Ounahi scoring in the 50th minute and Rahimi adding a late third.
- Jesse Marsch insisted his side were "the better team," telling reporters pitchside, "I'd rather be us than them" and praising his players for going after the game rather than playing defensive.
- Canada dominated the first half with chances for Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi, but failed to convert before Ounahi broke through four minutes after the break.
- Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi pushed back on Marsch's claim, saying, "It takes some nerve to say that, when you lose 3-0. We were better than them in the second half."
- Alphonso Davies was unavailable due to a hamstring concern that flared two days before the match, after recovering from an earlier hamstring injury; Marsch said the team didn't want to stress it.
- Canada's round-of-16 appearance was the program's best-ever World Cup result, surpassing group-stage exits in 1986 and 2022.
Why it matters: Canada exits still seeking a first knockout-stage win, but Marsch's aggressive, front-foot identity appears cemented for the program's next cycle. The match exposed a thin finishing margin — Canada outplayed Morocco for a half but couldn't convert — while the late hamstring flare-up for Alphonso Davies robbed the attack of its most decisive weapon on the biggest stage.
