Stephen Eustáquio’s Ontario hometown celebrates Canada’s historic World Cup win - BERITAJA

A mini southwestern Ontario municipality pinch a organization conscionable awkward of 30,000 has erupted pinch pridefulness pursuing Canada’s 1-0 triumph complete South Africa successful the first knockout information of the World Cup.

After 92 minutes of gridlocked play, the game-winning extremity was scored by Stephen Eustáquio, a 29-year-old primitively from Leamington, Ont., sending Canada to the information of 16 for the first clip successful men’s World Cup history.

“He’s a section hero,” Joal McMahon, the main of St. Louis Catholic Elementary School successful Leamington, told BERITAJA.

Eustáquio attended St. Louis from kindergarten to Grade 2 earlier moving to Portugal. But contempt his short stint astatine the school, McMahon said he near a lasting impact.

“We person unit who still retrieve him arsenic a young student,” he said. “Just arsenic an awesome small feline backmost then, moving difficult pinch his older brother. A hard-working family.

“After the extremity happened, my telephone was blown up pinch unit members who couldn’t judge that it was him.”

Even the children connected the playground sewage a footwear retired of supporting a hometown hero.

“Soccer is simply a immense athletics astatine our schoolhouse and a batch of students were trying to emulate his crippled and dress to beryllium him successful the games extracurricular astatine recess,” McMahon said.

McMahon said Eustáquio had reached retired to his alma mater anterior to the World Cup pinch a video asking the schoolhouse and the greater organization to support Team Canada. The schoolhouse gathered to watch the first game, and teachers and unit carried connected support successful their classrooms until schoolhouse was fto retired for summertime break.

“To spot a hard-working kid unrecorded retired his dreams has decidedly been an inspiration for our schoolhouse organization and our population, knowing that you could execute your goals and beryllium a Canadian leader if you support pinch that perseverance and dedication,” McMahon said.

For Eustáquio, that dream began successful Leamington. He first stepped connected the transportation pinch the Leamington Minor Soccer League astatine the property of four.

Tony Omar, president of the Leamington Minor Soccer League, told BERITAJA he didn’t cognize Eustáquio directly, but remembers really he and his relative would footwear the shot about while their begetter played successful the men’s league.

“Stephen conscionable kicking the ball, I’m guessing he was possibly 5 astatine the time. That’s wherever it starts,” he said. “To spot that he’s now playing for Canada, wow, it could hap to anyone.”

Omar said Eustáquio was coached by his dada while he played successful the convention and was 1 of the apical players connected his team. He said from the very beginning, you could show the young Eustáquio knew what he was doing.

“Stephen, truthful overmuch for illustration his dad, was very skilled, very talented, sees the field,” he said. “It decidedly shows that his difficult activity and earthy abilities person gotten them to this level.”

Omar said he does not return in installments for Eustáquio’s success, but he’s highly proud to person a relationship to the player.

“Hats disconnected to each the group who contributed to not only Stephen’s success, but each the Canadian shot players’ successes, because I’m judge location were hundreds of volunteers that made the pathway for them to get to wherever they are,” he said.

Canada will play adjacent connected July 4 against either the Netherlands aliases Morocco.

Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald told BERITAJA successful a connection that the full municipality will beryllium cheering connected Eustáquio and Team Canada.

“Watching Stephen Eustáquio people connected the world shape is simply a infinitesimal our organization will ne'er forget,” she said. “We’ll beryllium cheering them connected each measurement of the way.”