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Canada's goalkeeper, Maxime Crépeau, had a remarkably quiet game in their 6-0 victory over Qatar, yet he was almost persuaded by the fans to join the attack late in the match. He advanced to quickly distribute the ball upfield, and shouts from the stands urged him to shoot.
"I swear, the little devil on my shoulder said 'do it,' but the little angel whispered, 'just pass the ball and get back.' I heard the crowd's calls, but I told myself I wouldn't do it," Crépeau chuckled when speaking to reporters.
"Max's presence was truly important yesterday. But let's be honest, he barely had anything to do," said Canada's head coach, Jesse Marsch, as quoted by BTA.
The match was chaotic, featuring two red cards for Qatar and a horrific injury to Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné, who suffered a fractured tibia and fibula in his left leg after a tackle from behind by Assim Madibo.
Maxime Crépeau empathized with Koné, having himself broken his right leg in 2022, an injury that forced him to miss the World Cup in Qatar.
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