I'm actually thinking it's the opposite. I, too, was simply hoping for a respectable performance, a goal or two, and a point or two. Hopefully a dry run for the next World Cup. I think it's the performance against Belgium that has raised Canadian expectations.
We all saw what happened on the pitch against the #2 ranked team in the world that finished in 3rd place at the last World Cup. Prior to the tournament, I think most of us were expecting Canada to fail to advance to the round of 16. Now I think we're more likely to be slightly pissed if we don't, especially if it comes down to us missing out because of points not earned against Belgium.
I'm not sure what to expect against Croatia, but the fact is they are ranked well below the Belgians.
But I'm still focused on how this WC sets us up for the 2026 WC. So many of our key players will be in the 25 to 30 year age range, plus they'll have had this WC experience to draw upon, all while playing at "home."