MONTREAL – I'm in a karaoke bar trying to make sense of it all. Canada has just booked its place in the knockout round of the Women's World Cup but there's something not quite right. As I nurse a beer, I look over my shoulder and watch the locals step up to the stage and have their moment in the spotlight.

“There were moments of gold and there were flashes of light...it's all coming back to me.”

It was Canada’s best performance of the tournament, certainly. The opening 15 minutes was one-way traffic as Canada dominated the Dutch. There was Sophie Schmidt's careful header that kissed the top of the crossbar. There was the early intensity, the wave after wave of attack, a different mindset. This was what we had waited for - the Canadians taking the game to the opposition, giving the crowd something to get behind. And then Ashley Lawrence swept home from close range and the Stade Olympique erupted.

It made sense. Canada had been good and they were rewarded for their bravery. In the opening two fixtures, everything was so dull and uninspiring. Now, they were free-flowing. Moments later, Lawrence almost had a second, her shot narrowly missing the bottom corner.

View photos Netherlands forward Kirsten Van De Ven (19) celebrates her goal against Canada during the second half of a FIFA Women's World Cup soccer match Monday, June 15, 2015, in Montreal, Canada. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP) More

And then, something changed. Canada sat back, ceded control and the Netherlands began to exert substantial influence, allowed the opportunity to dictate things. Though the execution was a struggle at times, here was a team with a clear philosophy. Every move began from the back. There was a slow build-up, meticulous. There were short passes. The two centre-halves thought little of playing one-twos to each other. Canada backed off. There was little danger, they thought. But the Dutch built a foundation and began to dominate. They moved the ball into key midfield zones and out wide, Manon Melis and Lieke Martens were causing havoc. The Canadian fullbacks, Josee Belanger and Allysha Chapman, were left dazed by the pairs' speed, urgency and directness.

How had this happened?

There were the individual errors, too. Far too often, Canada squandered possession cheaply in key areas. Early in the opening period, the disappointing Kaylyn Kyle was brushed off the ball and lay on the turf, head in the ground, as the Netherlands broke quickly. The through ball was overhit, however, and Kyle and her side survived. It was yet another warning. On the ropes, Canada were looking at the clock. Bruised and battered, they longed for a break. Just a little respite.

“Your faith was strong but you needed proof.”

Coach John Herdman had made four changes to his team for the final game of the group round robin. He dropped Lauren Sesselmann, affording the veteran Carmelina Moscato a place in the heart of the defence. Elsewhere, he went for youth, as 17-year-old Jessie Fleming started in midfield while Adriana Leon provided support in attack. But, once again, the most important and influential player in Canadian colours was Kadeisha Buchanan, the 19-year-old centre back.

A physically imposing character, her reading of the game is outstanding and her ability to make a tackle at the most opportune moment has been a consistent pattern throughout this tournament. Shortly before the interval, Martens sped away down the left side, raced into the area and was just about to send in a cross when Buchanan dived in and swept the ball away with pinpoint accuracy. The crowd loved it. But it was damning just how little they had to cheer going forward.

Story continues