Canada midfielder Stephen Eustaquio broke down in tears after scoring a stoppage-time winner that knocked South Africa out of the World Cup, dedicating the goal to his late parents. The 29-year-old's strike in the second minute of added time secured a 1-0 victory for the co-hosts at Los Angeles Stadium, sending Canada into the last-16 against Morocco or the Netherlands on July 4.
Emotional Tribute to Late Parents
Speaking after the match, Eustaquio became visibly emotional as he remembered his mother, who died in 2023 after a battle with brain cancer, and his father, who died a year later following a heart attack. "Everything I do is for my family, for my parents, for my girlfriend, for my daughter," he said, tears streaming down his face. "For my friends back home. For everyone."
Eustaquio's stoppage-time strike was a powerful finish from the edge of the box, capping a game that had lacked quality. "I think we worked a lot to get this victory. We really wanted to give this win to all of the Canadians. We just kept believing, kept pushing and I couldn't have imagined it any other way," he said. "I think it was an amazing goal but when I shot, I felt everyone shot with me. They put a little bit of power on it and it went into the back of the net. So I am very happy."
Belief Key to Knockout Success
Eustaquio highlighted the team's belief as a driving force. "It started when we came out of the group stage. I think when it comes to the knockouts of the World Cup, the belief brings a big part to it," he said. "Now, we're going to get Morocco or the Netherlands and who knows, on a good day we can make things happen. Probably the quality is not going to be there, but if we keep believing and keep working, things might go our way."
Canada head coach Jesse Marsch praised his team's character. "We knew the game would get a little wild sometimes because they like to play in open spaces and sometimes, in transition, they can be very difficult to deal with," Marsch said. "We tried to make sure that we kept our structure and we tried to say we keep ramping up the level of the game and come from the bench and get stronger and see if we could punish them at some point. We had chances in the whole game, but we weren't lethal enough."
Coach Hails 'Canadian Heroes'
Marsch added: "Then it fell to Steph and I'm just hoping he puts it on frame and gives us a chance. He buries it. I can't help but think of all the hard work from these guys. The character. They are Canadian heroes, that's what I told them at the end. They are now Canadian heroes. I am so happy for them."
Canada will now face either Morocco or the Netherlands in Houston on July 4, with the team hoping to continue their historic run.
