Canada 'were the better team' in defeat to Morocco, believes Marsch

Jesse Marsch believed his Canada side "were the better team" during their 3-0 defeat to Morocco that saw them exit the World Cup in the last 16. 

Canada, playing at this stage of the World Cup for the first time, were beaten comfortably at Houston Stadium, with Azzedine Ounahi and Soufiane Rahimi on target. 

The first half struggled to provide any attacking excitement, with this the first World Cup match on record since 1996 to see more yellow cards (six) than shots (five) at half-time. 

However, Ounahi burst the game into life five minutes after the restart when he picked out the bottom-right corner following a cleverly worked free-kick by Achraf Hakimi. 

Morocco doubled their advantage eight minutes from time with another fine finish from Ounahi before Rahimi sealed their progression in the final minute of stoppage time. 

Canada have now failed to win any of their nine matches in World Cup history when they have gone behind (D1 L8), but Marsch said they deserved more for their performance. 

"We were the better team. They made a couple more plays than us, but cracking up the intensity was not the issue, it's just they had a bit of quality in the final third, and we lacked the ability to make a play when we needed to," Marsch said. 

"In terms of match the plan, idea, believing in themselves and taking a top team to the limit, we were the much better team in the first half and even at the beginning of the second half. It was one play that made it 1-0, otherwise the game was ours.

"It's always about the big games and big moments. How much can we be ourselves? We did that across the pitch.

"We had 11 incredible performances in the first half, and we were unlucky not to get the lead, and then it's the fine details.

"They have quality and players that play at a big level, but in terms of how we played, the match plan, what an incredible performance.

"What a privilege our fans have to follow a team like this that goes after the game like this and doesn't play defensive and shows they can be better.

"I'd rather be us than them. As good as Morocco are, I'd rather be us. I couldn't have been happier."

Marsch's comments were warranted, too. Morocco's five shots were the lowest by a team to win a knockout match at the World Cup on record since 1996. 

Canada also narrowly won the expected goals (xG) battle, finishing with a total of 0.86 from their 10 attempts to Morocco's tally of 0.78, though Mohamed Ouahbi's side were able to register more shots on target (four to three). 

The World Cup co-hosts are now without a win in five meetings with Morocco across all competitions (D1 L4), only facing Scotland (six) more without ever winning.

But they can look back on an impressive tournament, after finishing their Group B campaign in second behind Switzerland while also beating South Africa in their first-ever knockout game at the World Cup.  

"I think we had an amazing tournament. Until half-time of this game, we were outstanding. Everybody back home should be very proud," Canada captain Stephen Eustaquio said.

"We felt we could have won this game especially in the first half. We were on top of them, we were fighting, we were creating chances, our set-pieces were on point.

"But from a set-piece we let that slip and then obviously we want to go after it and we got hurt on transitions."