Beijing time (UTC+8) on June 29, in the round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup, Canada defeated South Africa 1-0 with a goal from Eustaquio in stoppage time, advancing to the round of 16 for the first time in its history. Canadian defender Johnston stated in a post-match interview that it was a perfect knockout performance, and the team is making Canadian sporting history.

What are your emotions right now?

The dressing room is absolutely buzzing right now. Everyone is excited because our journey continues. There's also a sense of relief because we've finally cleared that hurdle. It was a difficult match, and we knew it would be tough. But now we're looking ahead and will prepare soon for next weekend's match, focusing entirely on either Morocco or the Netherlands.

Having the opportunity to face one of the two best teams in the world is incredible, and it still feels surreal that we just won a knockout match at the FIFA World Cup. We're still celebrating, and I'm genuinely very excited. The fans were fantastic as well. I'm looking forward to having even more fans supporting us next time in Houston.

You've been with the Canadian team for many years. You also mentioned recognizing this as a knockout match. Now that you've actually won a knockout match at the FIFA World Cup, how does it compare to what you imagined?

It feels exactly as we imagined it, and it reminds me of our experience at the Copa América. Before the match, we had similar team meetings and reviewed past knockout experiences. For me, what matters most is that in 20 years, when you look back, you won't remember exactly how everyone played or whether someone made a mistake. All you'll want to know is: we advanced. That was the goal today.

We knew it would be very difficult, and we knew South Africa posed many threats. And they did—they pushed our defense hard. But I think we handled the pressure well and didn't give them too many real chances. Then Eustaquio sent us through to the next round with a magical moment.

I'm genuinely very proud. I'm incredibly proud of the resilience the players showed, because the second half wasn't easy. We stuck to our game plan and eventually scored the winning goal. That's knockout football: survive and advance. Whether it's 90 minutes or 120 minutes, you have to give everything you've got. Now we'll have the opportunity to face genuine top teams next weekend, which has us all very excited.

Can you describe how you felt when you saw the ball go in?

Oh my God, first of all it was relief, because I didn't have to play another 30 minutes of extra time, and I felt like our entire defense was on the brink of collapse. It was a very strange feeling. I think it must have been similar to what all the Canadian fans at home and in the stands felt, and perhaps similar to what you reporters felt.

It was a magical moment where your body is suddenly overwhelmed by emotion. You see Eustaquio running away to celebrate, and then the whole team rushes over. It's a moment you'll never forget—where you were. I think in Canadian sporting history, this will be a moment people will remember: "Where was I then?" We're very aware of that. We're not just making Canadian football history; we're making Canadian sporting history, which is a truly magical thing.

Next, we'll rest and recover, then head to Houston. Hopefully there will be a sea of red there, whether the opposing fans wear a different shade of red or orange—it'll be a very exciting match.

Looking back on this match, what do you think the team can learn from this difficult game that was decided in the 91st minute?

That's a great question, and I think that was actually the kind of match we expected. In the knockout stage, no matter who you face, no team gives up easily. We showed mental resilience. We created chances and stuck to our game plan. We believed our moment would come, whether in the 1st minute or the 90th. We adhered to our defensive principles, which we can be very proud of. Because at 0-0, it's easy to get caught up in the flow of the game, especially when the rhythm doesn't seem smooth.

But we didn't deviate from the plan. That's very important for us. Because once you start deviating from the plan, especially against top teams in the knockout stage, you can be punished. We also said before the match that as long as we don't concede, we give ourselves an incredible chance, and that's what we did today. Defense isn't just about the defensive line; the defensive work of our forwards sets the tone for us. Overall, if you look at it seriously, it was almost a perfect knockout performance. Most importantly, we advanced.

Übersetzt von KI.

Die AF-Website ist jetzt online! Vollständige Nachrichten, Kommentare, Spieldetails und Statistiken auf dem Computer. Besuchen Sie: www.allfootballapp.com