INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Tensions continued to rise between the two teams making their first appearance in the World Cup finals. With no goals on the scoreboard, time passed and overtime approached.
after that Stephen Eustaquio He scored a goal in the 2nd minute of added time in the second half. Canada beat South Africa Sunday 1-0.
“I shot with everything I had,” Eustaquio said.
The party was held for fans dressed in red in the stands at SoFi Stadium, one of the three World Cup host countries, and at watch parties across Canada.
“Overall, it was almost a perfect knockout performance,” right-back Alistair Johnston said.
During the winter, hockey is the norm in Canada. Well, summer belongs to the men’s national soccer team.
The country’s previous best men’s international results were CONCACAF Gold Cup wins in 1985 and 2000. The women’s Olympic team won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
“For the history of Canadian sports, it’s going to be a moment where you realize where you were when that moment happened,” Johnston said. “It’s something that hasn’t been forgotten for us. We know we’re making history, not just in Canadian soccer, but in Canadian sports. It’s magical.”
Just as it looked like 30 minutes of extra time was coming, Johnston’s pass to the right was cleared on the edge of the box and Eustaquio fired a clean shot into the bottom corner.
“It’s just a magical moment and something comes into your body,” Johnston said. “You see Steph sprinting and the whole team sprinting. It’s one of those moments you’ll never forget.”
Eustaquio became a Canadian hero in Los Angeles, playing for LAFC, a downtown MLS club about 10 miles away. The 29-year-old midfielder was born in Canada and spent his younger years playing in Portugal, where his late parents were born.
Eustaquio suffered back-to-back devastating blows when his mother died of a brain tumor in 2023 and his father died of a heart attack in 2024. He remains close with his brother Mauro, a former player and coach in the Canadian Premier League.
“I couldn’t think of a better person in a group of great people, and Steph is probably the best person to have a moment like this,” coach Jesse Marsh said. “So I’m really happy for him. I think his parents were looking down from somewhere and they were watching.”
In 2019, Eustaquio decided to play for the Canadian national team.
“Today we have to enjoy the fact that we made everyone feel proud back home,” he said. “I’m very satisfied.”
In the next moment, Eustachy quickly landed on Earth.
“I don’t want to say the job is done,” he said. “We have to be humble, we have to recover well and we know that in six days we will be a very tough team.”
Canada will next face either the Netherlands or Morocco on July 4 in Houston.
“Next weekend we’ll get a chance to take on the real Goliath, and that’s something we’re all very excited about,” Johnston said.
Eustaquio couldn’t see the clock and couldn’t tell how much time was left. Even during a hydration break, he wasn’t sure.
“There was a little bit of frustration knowing we didn’t score. If they keep pushing they’ll probably score. But Jesse was just trying to stay calm and tell the team to keep pushing,” he said.
The Canadians got a boost when star player Alphonso Davies came on in the 75th minute without his substitute bib. He has not played in a World Cup game since injuring his hamstring in the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich in May.
Eustaquio served as captain during Davis’ absence during group stage matches.
“We have a special group. We feel like brothers,” Eustaquio said. “When we fight for each other, when we play for each other, special things like this happen.”
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
