“Eustáquio’s goal shows the light within him”, says coach who found him | OneFootball

Stephen Eustáquio scored the decisive goal in the match between Canada and South Africa (1-0) last Sunday, a historic strike that allowed the host nation to secure, for the first time, a place in the round of 16 of the World Cup.

The coach who promoted the Portuguese-Canadian player to senior football recalled the years of work with Eustáquio and stressed that “his success is due, above all, to his talent, his resilience, his humility and his great character.” “The goal scored against South Africa reflects the light that shines on him,” he added.

Eustáquio was born in Canada, the son of Portuguese parents, but at the age of 7 he moved to Portugal and grew up in Nazaré. It was precisely at Nazarenos that this coach worked with Eustáquio, in the 2013/14 season, after a brief spell at UD Leiria.

“Although he was not yet of senior age, I did not hesitate to include him in the squad. The maturity he showed was already far beyond his years,” the coach recalled.

Later, Eustáquio left Nazaré. He completed his development at Torreense and from there moved into senior football. Over the last decade, he has played for Desp. Chaves, Cruz Azul and Paços de Ferreira, and is currently under contract with FC Porto, although he is on loan at Los Angeles FC.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.