Whatever happens to Canada now, this World Cup will be remembered as an unqualified success.
The team has already won its first match at a finals, qualified from a group for the first time, and won a knockout game at its very first attempt.
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Nobody seriously expects Jesse Marsch's team to win the entire tournament.
The co-hosts will approach every remaining match as a free hit, with any further success considered a pleasant bonus.
Morocco's High Ambitions
Morocco, meanwhile, sets its sights higher.
Four years ago, the Atlas Lions broke barriers by finishing fourth, their best World Cup result by far.
They became the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals.
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Since then, Morocco won the Africa Cup of Nations and will co-host the World Cup in four years.
Ranked sixth in the world, ahead of traditional powerhouses like Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy, they see no reason they cannot go deep again.
One of the hot favorites, France, would likely await the winner. But Canada is perfectly capable of pulling off a shock.
Super-deep is far from guaranteed for Morocco, and this match is no gimme.
With a mix of expectation, relaxation, and home-crowd advantage, today's round-of-16 tie is set up for fun.
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Kick off in Houston, Texas is at midday local time, 1pm EDT, 6pm BST, and 3am AEST.
