Davies didn't want to shade

DAY

DOHA, Qatar | Alphonso Davies is the undisputed star of the Canadian team and as such, he is jealously protected at Canada Soccer. On Tuesday, he finally met the media. 

After scoring the country's first-ever World Cup goal on Sunday, Davies briefly addressed the broadcaster official, but did not stop in front of the Canadian journalists who were waiting in the mixed zone.

He explained that he did not want all the attention to be directed towards him after his exploit.

“Yes the goal was important, but I wanted to talk about the team. I was happy to score, but we lost the match.

“I wanted to let the dust settle a bit before I talk about this goal. I was devastated to know that we were eliminated.”

Proud parents

You have to remember the story of the young 22-year-old star who made the heyday of Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

He was born in a refugee camp in Ghana after his parent fled the war in Liberia. It was in 2005 that the family moved to Canada to settle in Alberta.

His parents, who are in Doha, witnessed his achievement and Davies spoke about it with a touch of emotion.

“When I scored, my mother cried. Coming from a refugee camp to Canada and then scoring [at the World Cup] is an achievement.

“It was important for them to see me score this goal. When I was young, they couldn't see me play,” he explained.

Why? Quite simply because he left home at 14 to join the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy.

Hostled

When Davies was asked to describe how he experienced the goal, he of course described the sequence of events leading up to that headbutt magic after only 67 seconds of play.

But it's especially what happened after that makes the scene even more interesting.

“The guys were pulling my sweater, were pushing, I even got kicked.”

Jonathan Osorio, who met the media before Davies, had his own story of this achievement.

“It was amazing, it's the kind of moment that gives you goosebumps and you wonder about it. remember for the rest of your life. It's a testament to our progress and the sacrifices we've made to be here.

“We inspire a lot of young people in our respective cities. Young Canadians have to dream of making it past the first round, not just playing at the World Cup.”

Confidence

As Davies could not be spoken to after the game against Belgium, there was obviously talk about his penalty shot which was blocked by Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Many wondered why it was he, a full-back, who showed up from the penalty spot rather than Jonathan David, a striker who scores with regularity in the French Ligue 1.

“I took the penalty shot because I felt confident. I show myself a penalty spot, I choose a direction and the goalkeeper clearly reads my intention.

“Yes, I went over the images in my head in the evening, but I couldn't do it for too long. to move on to the next game.”

Becoming a leader

After this World Cup, there is likely to be some turnover within the Canadian roster.

Veterans like Atiba Hutchinson (39), Steven Vitoria (35) and Milan Borjan (35), are at risk of giving up their places to younger players for the next cycle of four that will lead to the 2026 World Cup which will take place in Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Does Davie want to become the leader of this team and why the captain to take over from Hutchinson? He answered this question cautiously.

“These guys went through several qualifying cycles before playing at the World Cup, they have a lot of experience.

“ I want to be a leader, help my teammates and I want to do that in any way I can.”