Canada pushed Belgium to the absolute brink in a revealing Group F opener, proving to the world what John Herdman, his players, and the entire country already felt going into the World Cup: This team belongs.

But Canada's fearless performance didn't translate into a win. Ultimately, there's no room for moral victories at the World Cup. The 1-0 loss, even if it was harsh on the Canadians, means a positive result – and ideally all three points – is a must against Croatia. Herdman knows that.

"There can't be any sort of complacency. There can't be any situation now where we think we've arrived and achieved something," Herdman told James Duthie of TSN ahead of Sunday's meeting with the beaten World Cup finalist from four years ago. "We took some respect and pride out of that performance (against Belgium) … Now we've got to take three points."

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What does Canada need to do to accomplish that? Below, we examine three key questions heading into the critical contest.

 

What will Canada's XI look like?

Against Belgium, Herdman stayed true to what helped Canada get to Qatar in the first place. A shape-shifting 3-4-3 setup – which looked like a 5-2-3 when out of possession – swarmed the second-ranked team in the world, disrupting the Red Devils' game with a high press that was equal parts calculated and aggressive. The biggest surprise on Wednesday was the decision to play superstar Alphonso Davies in a wing-back role more akin to the left-back spot he takes up for Bayern Munich than the attacking position he typically occupies for Canada.

Assuming all the players adequately recover from the enormous physical, mental, and emotional output in the draining match just days ago, expect Herdman's side to be aggressive once again. This is not the time to be timid.

Getting Davies higher up the pitch where he can consistently get on the ball in more dangerous areas would be wise, especially considering Sam Adekugbe, one of the standout performers in CONCACAF qualifying, can seamlessly slot in on the left flank. But Herdman could also opt for a 3-5-2 base formation that brings an extra man into midfield and, potentially, Cyle Larin up front.