Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The Canadian maple leaf hits the pitch for the second time at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Sunday.
Following its return to soccer’s biggest stage in 36 years, Canada impressed doubters in its opener against Belgium. The team dominated the statistics and made its presence felt, only to fall short 1-0 in the end.
Next up is Canada’s second European challenger, Croatia. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the do-or-die clash.
Watch the matches live on CTV and TSN.
Ahead of the game, head coach John Herdman has been in the headlines after some controversial statements regarding how Canada will approach its next game.
“We’re going to go and eff Croatia,” Herdman said post-Belgium. “That’s as simple as it gets.”
The statement has stirred up pre-game drama between the two sides, and both national team coaches have addressed the comments ahead of kickoff.
Herdman has since said there was no intention to disrespect Croatia.
"It's not massively respectful to Croatian people and the national team,” he admitted. “But in that moment, you're taking your team to the next place. We're here to be fearless."
Opposing manager Zlatko Dalic, meanwhile, insisted he was not a fan and called for more respect.
“The Croatian national team deserves respect from everyone. We’ve earned it with our performances, behaviour and results,” he said. “Not only now, but throughout our history. As we show respect to everyone, we expect them to treat us the same.
“We will get ready and play football and be dignified towards Canada as well as towards others. But we deserve respect.”
Can Canada put its money where its mouth is?
At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Croatia made a shock run to the final, led by captain and Golden Ball winner Luka Modric, before falling 4-2 to France. Despite significant squad turnover, the 12th-ranked side is still a country to be wary of.
Modric will be the biggest threat for Canada. The Real Madrid man is poised to pull the strings in midfield, can create a goal out of nothing, takes set pieces and is an elite dribbler. Alongside Modric, Mateo Kovacic is another strong presence in midfield who could act as an outlet if Modric is man-marked.
Canada’s Atiba Hutchinson, meanwhile, did a solid job of nullifying Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne last game and could have the same task against these two on Sunday.
Additionally, forwards Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric and Nikola Vlasic will hope to finally find their scoring touch which Canada must be aware of. At the same time, Mislav Oršić could be a surprise threat as the 29-year-old thrived in the Champions League earlier this season with Dinamo Zagreb.
When speaking to the media on Saturday, Herdman revealed the clash with Croatia “is going to need different things from Belgium and we've got a full roster to choose from" when asked about potential starting lineup rotations.
Alphonso Davies played the full 90 minutes against Belgium on his return from over two weeks off through injury, so fans may see him earn less time on the pitch.
Jonathan David could also be a name with less time or even missing from the starting XI, having underwhelmed in the World Cup opener.
Off the bench against Belgium Cyle Larin, Sam Adekugbe and Liam Millar had promising cameos. All three players are key to driving Canada forward and could therefore see more minutes against Croatia with the country hunting for its first World Cup goal.
Heading into the clash, Canada lost its tournament opener to Belgium but had the highest expected goals ratio (3.35) out of all teams from the first round of group stage games. Its record is now two wins, one draw and three losses from its last six games.
Croatia, meanwhile, is undefeated in its last six games with only Wednesday's 0-0 result against Morocco ending in a draw. Wins over France, Denmark, Austria and Saudi Arabia came before the World Cup, where they scored eight goals and conceded only two across all games.
Heading into the match Canada sits bottom of Group F. Belgium leads the way with three points while Morocco and Croatia each have one.
Herdman’s side must therefore pick up at least one point to stay within reach of qualifying for the knockout stages or will have to pack its bags.
Ahead of the match, CTV and TSN will have a special three-hour preview beginning at 7:45 a.m. EST/4:45 a.m. PST.
The game officially kicks off at 11 a.m. EST/8 a.m. PST.
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.