By Pearl Josephine Nazare
VANCOUVER, June 18 (Reuters) - Jonathan David bagged a hat-trick as Canada secured their first ever World Cup finals victory and boosted their chances of reaching the knockout stages with a 6-0 thrashing of hapless nine-man Qatar on Thursday.
The co-hosts' joy at the resounding victory was tempered by a serious injury suffered by midfielder Ismael Kone but they moved top of Group B with four points after two matches, while Qatar are bottom with one. Canada next host Switzerland,
who also have four points, in Vancouver on Wednesday.
Roared on by a vocal red-and-white crowd, Canada came out all guns blazing. Cyle Larin repaid coach Jesse Marsch's faith in the 16th minute, reacting quickest after goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada saved David's effort to give the hosts the lead.
Larin, who scored off the bench in Canada's 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina, had been handed a start alongside David, the country's all-time leading goalscorer.
Canada doubled their advantage 13 minutes later, David meeting a cross with a powerful volley and the match swung completely in Canada's favour when Qatar were reduced to 10 men.
A penalty was initially awarded for El Amin's foul on Tajon Buchanan, but a VAR review ruled the offence occurred outside the area. The decision was downgraded to a free kick, but Homam Ahmed's yellow card was upgraded to a red.
David added his second just before halftime, bundling home from close range after Abunada had saved Larin's header, leaving Qatar with a mountain to climb.
Kone sustained his injury following a tackle by Assim Madibo and was carried off on a stretcher but the 24-year-old was later seen sitting up and waving to the crowd, his left leg in a large inflatable protective boot.
Tempers and emotions spilled over following the incident and Madibo was shown a red card to reduce Qatar to nine men.
Substitute Nathan Saliba, who replaced Kone, added the fourth by whipping in a free kick before running to the sideline and holding up Kone's shirt in tribute to him.
Things went from bad to worse for Qatar as midfielder Mohammad Mannai turned the ball into his own net before David completed his hat-trick in stoppage time to compound a miserable night for the visitors.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Vancouver and Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Ed Osmond)
