On June 29, 2022 (CEST), in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, Canada defeated South Africa 1-0 with a goal from Eustaquio during injury time, advancing to the knockout stage for the first time in the nation's history. Goal scorer Eustaquio said in a post-match interview that he was delighted Alfonso Davies returned to the pitch and he gave everything he had into that shot.

How does it feel to make history?

I think we worked hard for this. Our team is very special, like brothers. When we fight for each other and play for each other, something special like this can happen.

I'm very happy, but at the same time, I don't want to say the job is done. We know we'll face Morocco or the Netherlands next, which will be a very difficult match. We hope that after watching this game, they'll find it challenging to play against us next week. That's the result we're after.

After the final whistle, Marsch gave an emotional speech to the team. What did he say? And do you think it's time for him to apply for Canadian citizenship?

I think he deserves everything. He just told us to move forward. It's clear that we're heroes in this country right now because this is the first time we've won a World Cup knockout match. But at the same time, we know we still have a lot of work to do. Sorry for repeating myself, but we can't get ahead of ourselves right now. We need to stay humble, recover well, and we know we'll face a very strong team in six days. But at the same time, I think we need to enjoy this moment today because we've made everyone back home proud of us.

What was your take on such a tight match? And how did the substitution of Alfonso Davies impact the creation of space?

When he came on, I knew it would be a huge boost for the team. Obviously, he's one of the best players in the world and one of the best left-backs in the world. He's the best player on our team. Knowing he was fit and could push the team forward helped us a lot. The team worked hard to make sure we reached the knockout stage and gave him the opportunity to play. So I'm very happy he's back.

As for this match, we knew South Africa was a hard-working team. Their three midfielders are very strong and cover a lot of ground. They made it difficult for us when we tried to send balls into our penalty area. Overall, I think we played compactly and stayed calm. It wasn't perfect, as you could see the pitch was quite dry, which made the game slightly easier for them. But I think we deserved the win.

During the water break in the first half, there was an intense discussion. Similar situations would occur during water breaks in both halves. What was the main message communicated between the head coach, coaching staff, and players at that time?

I think we felt their set pieces could be a threat, and we had some counterattack opportunities. At the same time, we felt the opposition hadn't created too many chances, but they were a capable team and only needed one opportunity to score. So we were somewhat frustrated at that point because we hadn't scored yet, and if they continued to press, they could score.

The head coach just tried to keep everyone calm and told the team to keep pushing. Toward the end of the game, we knew the substitutes would make an impact, and we knew we'd keep pushing the game. As you saw, Alfonso Davies came on, and Nico Sigur came on too. Then Shaffelburg crossed it in, the ball deflected and came to me. So everyone was important. We needed everyone.

Did you know how much time was left in the match? It felt like the game was heading to extra time. Can you describe what you were feeling when the ball bounced to you and you decided to shoot?

It's hard to see the time on this pitch. I don't think I could see the scoreboard. I never saw the time, so I could only roughly estimate how much time was left through the water breaks. When I scored, I knew the game was nearly over. Then we managed to hold on for another two or three minutes. We had to believe in ourselves, and I put all my effort into that shot.

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