A late second-half goal from Stephen Eustáquio allowed Canada to inch past South Africa in the opening game of the World Cup’s Round of 32, sending Les Rouges through to the next round
It’s the first knockout round victory in Canadian history as they became the first World Cup co-host to play an elimination game on foreign soil
The game was largely a tense affair as the Canadians struggled to get the ball in the net against South Africa’s stout defense. Canada on multiple occasions had shots cleared off the line and looked like the better team throughout much of the game
However, the South Africans looked dangerous on the counterattack on multiple occasions and frustrated the Canadians throughout
It took a moment of brilliance from Eustáquio, thumping a loose ball into the corner of the South African net as the game went into second-half injury time
The match marked a bit of history – the first Round of 32 game in World Cup history as the tournament expanded to 48 teams for the first time this year. The first knockout round continues through Friday night, when the field will be winnowed to 16 teams
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Canada drove most of the play through the opening 20 minutes before the hydration break, creating multiple chances – including one from defender Derek Cornelius, whose headed effort was saved by South African keeper Ronwen Williams
The South Africans looked dangerous on the counterattack, creating multiple chances, though their shots in the opening minutes were limited to long-range strikes that barely troubled the Canadians
As the clock ticked toward halftime, the Canadians got a little more inventive and put more pressure on the Bafana Bafana penalty area. A mad scramble off a corner kick in the 44th minute saw South African defender Aubrey Modiba blocking a shot off the line, preventing a sure goal, and then keeper Williams following that up with another key save before the ball was cleared
A minute later, Canada’s Richie Laryea fell in the box as he went to shoot, drawing immediate appeals for a penalty from Les Rouges. Referee João Pinheiro waved away calls for a penalty and was backed by the video assistant referee, ruling that Laryea initiated the contact
That was the last opportunity before halftime, when Canada manager Jesse Marsch attempted to confront the referee over the decision but was pushed away by his own player, Moïse Bombito
The start of the second half was most notable for a slow-motion replay of a Canadian fan dropping her phone as the crowd did the wave in the opening minutes. The action on the field wasn’t quite as enticing as neither side really created much as the second began, aside from one mishit Canadian chance just after the restart
The game began to open up more in the minutes before the second-half hydration break as Canada once again forced the South Africans to clear off the line. A great through ball from Niko Sigur found Tani Oluwaseyi running behind the South African defense on a quick counterattack. Oluwaseyi’s shot was saved by Williams and popped up high, floating toward the goal before it was cleared away by Mbekezeli Mbokazi
As the second half went on, Canada looked to be the more likely side to score, though the South Africans had their chances despite slowing their attack down to a glacial pace. Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich entered the game for the Canadians in the 75th minute on the left wing, his first action of the tournament as he’s been recovering from a hamstring injury
He quickly made an impact as he played a ball toward the box, which fell to Promise David on the edge of the box. The shot was blasted wide, only just missing the near-side post. A juking run by Davies in the 78th minute unlocked the South Africa defense again, as he passed to Jonathan David for another shot that was hit right at Williams for a simple save
But after those moments of inspiration, the game once against slowed down as it seemed to be headed for 30 minutes of extra time. But the moment finally came as the second half wound into injury time
The Canadians began to move down the right through Jacob Shaffelburg, who sent a cross into the box. The ball was headed away by Ime Okon, but it bounced favorably to Eustáquio, who finished spectacularly with a volley that found the bottom left corner past a sprawling Williams
It was a moment of exultation for the Canadian fans who had traveled south for the match after 90 minutes of holding their collective breath. South Africa ramped up the pressure in the final minutes to try and find an equalizer, but they never truly threatened the Canadian goal
The next match for the Canadians will come against either Morocco or the Netherlands on at 1 p.m. ET on July 4 in Houston
