Millions of Canadians across the country jumped and cheered when Stephen Eustaquio scored in extra time, sending the Canadian soccer team to the round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup.
In Montreal, fans watching the game outside cafes and bars cheered and started chanting “Olé, olé, olé, olé!” as Canadian players celebrated their victory on the field at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California.
Canada received a boost in the 75th minute when captain Alphonso Davies replaced Tajon Buchanan, marking the Bayern Munich star’s first appearance in this tournament.
Canada will face the winner of the Netherlands vs. Morocco game in Houston on July 4, which will be played Monday night.
Stephanie Grey, who was with her family at Les 3 Brasseurs in downtown Montreal, had just returned from Spain and also decided to go to a bar to enjoy the atmosphere.
“Kids love soccer, and then in the bars, that’s really where you live the experience,” she pointed out.
Daniel Couture, originally from Granby, shared this opinion and also wanted to join in the festive atmosphere downtown. “I’m not from Montreal, I was looking for a place to watch the game and I saw that the Time Out Market had a screen and a great atmosphere for watching the match.”
Couture had the opportunity to attend the match between Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto earlier this month.
At the fan festival in Vancouver, Darren Li recounted that he cheered on Canada with his family.
“The atmosphere was great,” Li described after the match. “I was particularly happy when they scored. Everyone was shouting. It was a great moment overall.”
Cory Symons, who was also in Vancouver, emphasized that Sunday’s game was intense right up to the very end.
“We were hoping to score that goal until the very last minute, and it finally happened.”
Aaron Payne, who was watching the game from Toronto, maintained that he was confident Canada would win.
“We knew we would get there, it just took a little time,” he said.
Canada received a boost in the 75th minute when captain Alphonso Davies replaced Tajon Buchanan, marking the Bayern Munich star’s first appearance in this tournament.
Canadian coach Jesse Marsch gathered his players in a circle after the final whistle and gave them an enthusiastic speech.
“You are Canadian heroes!” he told them. “Canadian heroes for the future children of this country who will play this sport. This sport has a great future because of you. You should be very proud of who you are. You should be very proud of this game.”
Canada will then face the winner of the round of 16 match between the Netherlands and Morocco in Houston on July 4.
Many Canadians have supported their team at every stage of the tournament so far, filling BC Place and Toronto Stadium, turning streets into rivers of red and white flags and spending hours outside hotels to catch a glimpse of the players.
One of the highlights for fans was Canada’s crushing 6-0 victory over Qatar at BC Place on June 18, which followed the country’s first World Cup point thanks to a draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the opening match on June 12 in Toronto.
In Toronto, Michael D’Angelo danced with the Canadian flag after Sunday’s victory against South Africa.
“Our victory meant everything to us tonight,” he said. “We had a fantastic time. I can’t wait for the next game.”
— With information from Anja Conton in Montreal
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
