After scoring a hat-trick to lead Canada to the first FIFA World Cup victory in the country's history, forward Jonathan David's thoughts were not about celebrating his historic accomplishment, but instead about teammate Ismaël Koné.
The Canadian midfielder, who is of Ivorian descent, suffered a gruesome leg injury in the second half at BC Place.
Kone's departure, on a stretcher with his left foot encased in protective medical gear, soured an otherwise unforgettable night when the Canadians romped to a commanding 6-0 win that put them in pole position to win the group and remain in Vancouver for the knockout stage.
David told reporters after the game : "It was very difficult, especially, in a game that was basically won at that point.
"Obviously it was very hard for us, for himself, for the team. But we have to stay strong for him and to do it for him.
"He means everything to this team. If you asked the same question to any guy on the team, they will tell you the same.
"I don't even know how to describe him, he's someone that we love a lot."
With Canada three goals up, Kone was clattered into by Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo, who was shown a straight red card for the challenge.
Despite losing one of their most creative players, Canada did not let up and finished by completing a dominant victory over Qatar, with Kone's replacement Nathan Saliba finding the back of the net just seven minutes after coming on.
Both Canadian players who scored after the injury dedicated their celebrations to Koné, with Saliba picking up and displaying his fellow midfielder's shirt after his goal. Koné was taken to hospital and later prepared for surgery, according to multiple reports.
The hat-trick placed David in rare company. It was the first World Cup hat trick by a player representing a host nation since England's Geoff Hurst scored three goals in the 1966 final.
It also came days after questions were raised about the Lille striker's form following a quiet performance in Canada's opening 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The striker said he was taking it all in stride: "I mean, it is a striker's life. You get criticized when you don't score. So it's normal."
What was perhaps not so normal was the reaction from the stands. As the goals piled up, the atmosphere inside BC Place became increasingly raucous, even Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was spotted in a team shirt, on his feet and cheering with as much gusto as any regular fan.
"That was amazing," David said. "After every goal, it got louder, and it gave you even more hunger, more determination to get the next goal and the next one."
But the downside was that the match ended amid frustration from Qatar, who had two players sent off and became involved in several confrontations during and after the game.
"You can understand the frustration, obviously, because of the score line. No team wants things to happen like this," David said.
"So they have to react in a way, but what I told the players is that I can understand that you are angry, but if there's a play where you cannot win the ball, there's no point of going in because it's just to hurt the player in the end."
The victory lifted Canada to the top of Group B on goal difference and left the hosts needing only a draw in their final group match against Switzerland to guarantee they remain in Vancouver for the knockout rounds.
For a team that has not been in this position before, it was refreshing. "I don't think we have to do too many calculations," David said, with what sounded like relief.
"We just have to go out and play our game and do our best."