South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole and Canada’s Jonathan David (10) go for a header throughout a World Cup round of 32 soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., close to Los Angeles, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Right after Canada completed its first knockout match victory in a World Cup, coach Jesse Marsch huddled his gamers on the grass of a stadium nonetheless in pandemonium and spoke from his coronary heart — shouted, truly.
“You guys are Canadian heroes today!” Marsch declared. “Canadian heroes for the future children of this country who play this sport. The sport has a big future because of you guys. You should be so proud of who you are. You should be so proud of this game. You never lost belief. You went after it, point after point, moment after moment. You are Canadian heroes!”
Stephen Eustáquio’s dramatic late purpose had impressed Marsch to Ted Lasso ranges of earnestness, and he didn’t care who knew it.
Soccer has by no means been the primary occasion on Canada’s busy sports activities calendar, and Les Rouges are taking part in in solely their third World Cup this summer time. But Marsch realized this landmark 1-0 win over South Africa on Sunday is the kind of achievement that may seize a whole nation’s consideration for a technology.
“We could have made life a little easier on ourselves if we would have made a play earlier when we had some big chances,” Marsch mentioned. “But obviously the timing of the goal means that the win is incredibly dramatic, and I think the effect that it will have in Canada, and the inspiring of people, will be immense.”
After 90-plus minutes of frustration and failure to break down cagey South Africa at SoFi Stadium, Canada made historical past in an immediate when Alistair Johnston’s lengthy go into the field was cleared straight into the trail of Eustáquio.
The midfielder who performs professionally at close by Los Angeles FC coolly chested it down and blasted it off the bounce into the underside nook of Ronwen Williams’ web earlier than sprinting away to have fun with Canada’s bench in the second minute of second-half stoppage time.
“We worked for it,” Eustáquio mentioned. “We have a special group. We feel like we are brothers. When we fight for each other, when we play for each other, special things like this can happen. I am over the moon, but at the same time I don’t want to say that the job is finished.”
Canada, which sits thirtieth in the newest FIFA world rankings, superior to face the Netherlands or Morocco in Houston on Saturday.
After taking part in its first three group matches in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada missed the prospect to additionally make this little bit of historical past at residence when it misplaced 2-1 to Switzerland final Wednesday and obtained despatched on the street for the knockout rounds. But Marsch’s plucky staff responded by profitable this match’s first round of 32 match and reaching the round of 16 for the first time in its three journeys to the World Cup.
Coach quits
South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo resigned Sunday after the staff’s fast elimination from the World Cup drew a harsh condemnation from the nation’s president, who known as the coach “incapable” and ordered a whole evaluation of the nationwide staff program.
South Korea gained its opening match towards Czech Republic, then misplaced its subsequent two Group A matches to South Africa and Mexico.
South Korea hoped it could qualify for the following round as one of many third-place groups to advance in this 12 months’s expanded match. That ended when Congo defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 on Saturday.
The fast exit for a staff that anticipated to advance left the nationwide staff program in turmoil and drew a pointy rebuke from President Lee Jae Myung. He leveled pointed criticism on the coach.
“As a former honorary professional football club chairman and, at heart, a member of the Red Devils, I feel not just surprise but deep bewilderment at this unexpected result,” the president mentioned.
The president criticized the nationwide staff construction and oversight, and the coach’s appointment in the first place.
“Once again, it has been proven that personnel decisions determine everything. If loyalty and factionalism are valued over competence and an incapable person is appointed as a leader, the outcome is as predictable as fire,” the president mentioned.