Canada create more with less of the ball

– With only 33% possession, Canada’s 4-4-2 has been direct and purposeful. They posted 13 touches in Morocco’s box to just 1 for the Atlas Lions, which matches the eye test that most of the danger arrived in and around Bono’s six-yard area. Canada’s big chance total sits at 1, and it was the clearest moment of the half.
– Tani Oluwaseyi led the line with presence, winning duels and finding space between centre-backs. He generated 0.348 xG from two attempts, put one on target, and missed that single big chance. Jonathan David also tested Yassine Bounou once and offered runs in behind that kept Morocco’s back four honest.

– The shot map leans Canadian in a very literal way. All four of Canada’s shots came from inside the penalty area, compared to Morocco’s only effort from range. That, paired with a 5-0 corner count, explains the 0.42 xG clip and the general sense that the red shirts were closer to scoring.
– Canada have also found routes down both flanks, finishing the half 4 of 10 on crosses. Final third entries finished 21 to 19 for Canada despite the possession split, a neat sign that Jesse Marsch’s side wasted little time once the ball was won.

Set pieces and service tilt territory Canada’s way

– Corners are often a proxy for territorial pressure, and Canada’s 5-0 lead there sums up the pattern. Stephen Eustaquio has been at the heart of that. The captain attempted six crosses, hit three of them, produced a key pass and led Canada with 0.15 expected assists.
– Ali Ahmed added another channel for service, creating one big chance, completing a cross, and showing why his direct running matters in a match where every penalty area touch is gold.

– Richie Laryea chipped in with progressive carries and drew fouls in the right spots, while Alistair Johnston’s overlap produced a shot and a blocked effort. The total tackle count of 13-7 also shows Canada set the terms without the ball, then sprang forward quickly.
– All of that set piece traffic forced Morocco into 21 first half clearances. That is a huge number for 45 minutes and underlines how often the North Africans were forced to defend their box, even while owning the bulk of possession.

Morocco dominate the ball, Bounou and the back line do the heavy lifting

– Regragui’s men, set up in a 4-2-3-1, knitted together 299 passes at 89% accuracy, a clean base of 266 accurate balls. Issa Diop and Redouane Halhal were metronomes at the back with 56 and 50 passes respectively, keeping circulation smooth and errors minimal.
– Yet penetration was limited. Morocco finished the half with only one shot, from outside the area, and two offsides. The touches in the Canadian box totalled just 1, a sign that Canada’s compact mid-block closed central lanes and invited play wide.

– When Canada did break, Morocco relied on last-ditch work. Those 21 clearances came from across the back four, with Noussair Mazraoui standing out in duels and Hakimi reading danger at the far post. Maxime Crépeau made one save at the other end, but Yassine Bounou was busier and more decisive.
– Bono delivered two saves, a high claim and two punches, with 0.39 goals prevented by Sofascore’s model. He also passed well, 18 of 22, which helped Morocco settle under pressure. An early blow arrived on 22 minutes when Ismael Saibari went off injured, replaced by Soufiane Rahimi, who supplied Morocco’s lone on-target attempt soon after coming on.

A physical edge and an active whistle shape the tempo

– Fouls stood at 15-6 in Canada’s favor, which is another way to say they disrupted Morocco’s rhythm. Michael Oliver kept a firm handle on it, issuing six yellow cards before the break, two to Canada and four to Morocco.
– For Canada, Richie Laryea was booked for unsporting behaviour at 40 minutes, then Jonathan David followed on 43 for a foul. For Morocco, Halhal saw yellow on 20, Achraf Hakimi on 40, with Azzedine Ounahi and Bilal El Khannouss both cautioned on the stroke of halftime.

– The duels ledger favored Morocco 54% to 46%, but Canada tilted the tackles board 13-7 and pressed just enough to draw an “error leading to a shot” against the Canadians themselves once, a rare sloppy moment they recovered from. Ground duels split 23 of 43 for Morocco, 20 of 43 for Canada, with aerials 9 of 16 to 7 of 16 in Morocco’s favor.
– It was a half of two identities, one built on hold and recycle, the other on win it and go. The cards and free kicks, 15 for Morocco to 6 for Canada, framed a stop-start rhythm that neither team fully mastered.