Sports Writing (Canada), Sep 23 (EFE).- Canada easily beat Qatar 0-2 in Vienna (Austria), in the first of two World Cup warm-up matches that the North American team intends to play in September in Europe.

Both goals were scored before the break by strikers Cyle Larin in the 4th minute and Jonathan David in the 13th minute.

Both goals came from the left wing and after hooking the ball in the box defended by Al Sheeb.

After scoring twice in the opening minutes of the match, Canada relaxed but maintained their dominance throughout the game.

Qatar, the host team of the 2022 World Cup which will be played in November in the Arab country, could not put themselves in danger against the goal defended by veteran Milan Borjan.

Although in the first half both teams shot the same number of times, five, Canada put three shots between the Qatari posts and scored twice.

Of Qatar’s five shots in the first 45 minutes, only one was aimed at the net defended by Borjan.

In the second half, Qatar only managed three more shots on goal.

Overall, Canada dominated possession 61% of the time.

The Canadian team, playing at a World Cup for the first time since Mexico City 1986, stood firm on the ground at Vienna’s Franz Horr Stadium, taking advantage of the length of the pitch to open up gaps in the Qatari defence.

After the match, Canadian coach John Herdman said he was happy with the result in front of the television cameras, saying he was “very happy” with the performance of his players.

Larin, scorer of the first goal, also expressed his joy saying that the Canadian team can score from anywhere on the field.

On September 28, Canada will hold its second friendly match against Uruguay in Bratislava, Slovakia, a match that will give a better measure of the real capabilities of the Canadian team.

Technical sheet:

Qatar: Saad Al-Sheeb; Pedro Correia (m.46 Ismaeel Mohammad), Bassam Hisham, Tarek Salman (m.60 Boualem Khoukhi), Abdelkarim Hassan MW Abdulwahhab (m.46 Hassan Al-Haidos); Abdulaziz Hatem (m.60 Ali Assadalla), Karim Boudiaf, Homam Ahmed; Akram Afif and Almoez Ali (d.77 Mohammed Muntari).

Coach: Felix Sanchez.

Canada: Milan Borjan; Kamal Miller, Steven Vitoria, Alistair Johnston; Samuel Adekugbe (m.67 Liam Miller), Stephen Eustáquio (m.74 Mark-Anthony Kaye), Samuel Piette (m.60 Ismael Koné), Junior Hoilett, Alphonso Davies (m.60 Iké Ugbo); Cyle Larin (m.46 Richie Laryea) and Jonathan David (m.60 Charles-Andreas Brym).

Coach: John Herdman.

Goals: 0-1, min.4: Cyle Larin; 0-2, min 13: Jonathan David

Referee: Austrian Manuel Schüttengruber showed yellow cards to Steven Vitória (m.16) and Bassam Al-Rawi (m.90).

Stadium: Franz Horr Stadium/Generali-Arena, Vienna, Austria.