World Cup: Croatia downs Canada 4-1 on Kramaric’s 2 goals

Al Rayyan, Qatar, Nov. 27 (AP): Andrej Kramaric scored a pair of goals and Croatia crushed Canada’s hopes of advancing at its first World Cup in 36 years with a 4-1 victory on Sunday.

Alphonso Davies scored Canada’s first-ever World Cup goal seconds into the match but the team’s trip to soccer’s biggest tournament will end on Thursday against Morocco, the Group F leaders after a surprise 2-0 victory over Belgium earlier in the day.

Marko Livaja and Lovro Majer also scored for Croatia, the runner-up to France at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Captain Luka Modric, 37, was still looking for his first goal of the tournament in what is likely his final World Cup.

Morocco went to the top of Group F with its first win at a World Cup since 1998. But the victory meant that the Canadians needed a win against Croatia for a chance to reach the knockout stage.