Stephen Eustaquio was overcome with emotion after scoring the goal that sealed Canada’s place in the World Cup final 16. Thanks to Eustaquio’s stoppage time performance, the co-hosts won 1-0 against South Africa and will advance to the last 16, where they will face either Morocco or the Netherlands on July 4 in Houston.
In a game that lacked real quality, the 29-year-old fired home from outside the area in the second minute of stoppage time at the Los Angeles Stadium. It was a breakthrough moment for the midfielder, who was born in Canada’s capital to Portuguese parents and emigrated to his homeland at the age of seven.
And in the post-match interview, Eustaquio visibly teared up as he paid tribute to his parents, after losing his mother to a brain tumor in 2023 and his father to a heart attack a year later.
“Everything I do is for my family, my parents, my girlfriend, my daughter,” said a visibly moved Eustaquio. “For my friends back home. For everyone.”
Reflecting on the victory, the midfielder said: “I think we worked a lot to get this win. We really wanted to give this win to all Canadians. We just kept believing and kept pushing and couldn’t imagine it any other way.”
“I think it was a great goal, but when I took the shot, it felt like everyone was together to take the shot. I put a little effort into it and it went into the back of the goal, so I’m very happy.”
He also talked about the team’s unwavering belief. “It started when we got out of the group stage. I think belief is a big part when it comes to the World Cup finals. Now we’re going to beat Morocco or Holland, but you never know if we’ll make things happen on a good day. Maybe the quality won’t be there, but if we keep believing and keep trying, things might work out.”
Meanwhile, Canada’s head coach Jesse Marsh commented: “We knew the game would be a little rough at times because they like to play in open space and sometimes it can be very difficult to deal with them in transition.”
“We tried to make sure we maintained our system, continued to raise the level of our game, come off the bench and be strong and see if we could punish them at some point. We had chances throughout the game, but we weren’t lethal enough.”
“Then it fell to Steph. I hope he can box it in and give us a chance. He filled it in. I can’t help but think of all the hard work of the characters. They’re Canadian heroes, that’s what I said to them at the end. They’re Canadian heroes now. I’m so happy for them.”
