Canada advances to first World Cup Round of 16 as thrilling late goal eliminates South Africa
INGLEWOOD, Calif.— They waited for 91 minutes, and it sure seemed they would be waiting longer.The game was going to extra time.
South Africa was playing for extra time.Canada was offering little resistance.
It had been a dull 90 minutes, all the excitement of two teams playing their first knockout game at a World Cup evaporating in back passes and passivity.This was the sort of 0-0 knockout game to inspire takes that the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams was ill-conceived.And then, and then, and then, South Africa defended a cross poorly, and the ball was at Stephen Eustáquio’s chest atop the 18-yard box.
All afternoon, Canada lacked a finishing touch.Twice, South Africa defenders had come from nowhere to stop what looked like sure goals.
Not this time.Not this moment.Some of Eustáquio’s teammates, Dayne St.
Clair said, have been urging him to shoot and try to break a scoring drought that had stretched on since Feb.28.
He did, swinging his right foot and, Alistair Johnston would say later, “it’s one of those moments that you’ll never forget where you were.”At least Canada won’t.At its second-ever World Cup, Canada is off to the Round of 16 for the first time in its history, Eustáquio’s strike having pulled the nation into nirvana.Canada manager Jesse Marsch, at the full-time whistle that confirmed a 1-0 victory, implored his team: “You are Canadian heroes.”“It can change the perspective of our country forever,” midfielder Liam Millar said.Eustáquio, who chose to play for Canada over Portugal, and who was playing Sunday within miles of his temporary club home — he’s on loan at LAFC from FC Porto in Portugal — will be a household name in a country of 41 million that has never had a moment like this in soccer.“We feel like we’re brothers,” Eustáquio said.
“And at the same time, when we fight for each other, when we play for each other, special things like this can happen.”The group, built around superstar Alphon...