From The Sports Desk: Jesse Marsch calls Canada ‘heroes’ after historic World Cup knockout victory

After Stephen Eustáquio’s late winner for Canada against South Africa in the first knockout game of the World Cup, coach Jesse Marsch gathered his players on the field and told them: “You are Canadian heroes.” Few fans would argue with him, with Les Rouges advancing to the round of 16 for the first time in history. The knockout round continues today, with Brazil facing Japan at 1 p.m. ET, Germany vs. Paraguay at 4:30 p.m., and the Netherlands vs. Morocco at 9 p.m. World Cup Recap It took until stoppage time in the second half, but Canada finally broke the deadlock against South Africa in Los Angeles to win 1-0 and advance to the round of 16 for the first time in the country’s history. A timid South Africa played like it was in uncharted territory, having reached the knockout stage for the first time. The match had novelty value for Canada, too — it was the first time in the tournament that the co-host was playing outside of its homeland. Canadian captain Alphonso Davies, considered one of the best left backs in the world, came off the bench. Davies entered this tournament nursing an injury, and the last time he set foot in this stadium, during the CONCACAF Nations League finals in March 2025, he tore his ACL and further damaged his knee, an injury that put him out for eight months. Davies’ return, albeit from the bench, could not have gone any better. Canada will face either the Netherlands or Morocco in Houston on Saturday, when Marsch will no doubt be hoping Davies is healthy enough to start. Preview There are three tantalizing round of 32 clashes today, beginning with Brazil vs. Japan in Houston. The Seleção — who won Group C — face a tricky opponent in Japan, ranked No. 17 in the world. The two nations have strong ties: Brazil is home to about 2.7 million Japanese descendants, the largest Japanese population outside of Japan. Many Brazilian stars also play in the J.League. The Samurai Blue can consider themselves unfortunate to be facing the five-time World Cup champions so early in the competition, having finished second in Group F. Despite only winning once, Japan impressed in a tough group. Want to know how Japan plays? Watch Daizen Maeda’s strike against Sweden, a delightful one- and two-touch passing move that bamboozled the opposition defense. It was one of the outstanding goals of the group stage. Notably, Japan gained its first-ever victory over Brazil in a friendly in Tokyo in October, rallying from 2-0 at halftime to win 3-2, although one of the scorers that day, striker Takumi Minamino, is not on the squad due to injury. Brazil qualified from its group comfortably enough, but the 34-year-old Casemiro could struggle against a dynamic and dogged Japan. Coach Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping for another star turn from Vinícius Júnior, who scored two against Scotland last time out and has four in total. Ancelotti has at least seemed to have found his best starting 11. That includes Matheus Cunha up front, who will be looking to add to his three tournament goals. The winner will face either Ivory Coast or Norway on July 5 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Another traditional World Cup powerhouse is three-time finalist the Netherlands. It plays Morocco — like Japan, another emerging force on the world stage — in another intriguing matchup. In today’s other game, Germany plays Paraguay. The winner will play either France or Sweden. Men in Blazers Canadian football wasn’t supposed to be here. The knockout rounds of a World Cup were supposed to be a fever dream. Before this tournament, Les Rouges had lost every World Cup match in their history, which puts the totemic accomplishments of Jesse Marsch into perspective. Their 1-0 round of 32 victory over South Africa yesterday wasn’t just a win; it was a groundbreaking achievement. Marsch is often cast as a character that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but when he did his best Coach Carter impression after the match, telling his team they were “Canadian heroes for the future children of this country,” it was hard not to believe him. Marsch now has this group — and all of Canada — believing, and sometimes, that is all you need to spark a World Cup run. Today, the round of 32 really gets into motion. First, Brazil and Japan clash at 1 p.m. ET in Houston, with five-time winners in the Seleção and star forward Vinícius Júnior meeting Daichi Kamada and the Samurai Blue. Then, 2014 champion Germany takes on the ever-resilient Paraguay at 4:30 p.m. ET in Boston as La Albirroja and Julio Enciso look to stun the world. The evening ends with a five-course meal as the Netherlands clashes with 2022 semifinalist Morocco at 9 p.m. ET in Monterrey. The Dutch, led by surprise Golden Boot candidate Brian Brobbey, are still searching for their first-ever World Cup title, while the Atlas Lions are looking to mimic their heroics from four years ago. For more World Cup coverage sent straight to your inbox every morning, subscribe to the Men in Blazers newsletter. We’ll be covering every match, every goal and every joyous moment that soccer’s biggest spectacle is sure to bring. What we’re watching World Cup! All the games are on Telemundo and Peacock, and all times are Eastern: 1 p.m.: Brazil vs. Japan4:30 p.m.: Germany vs. Paraguay9 p.m.: Netherlands vs. Morocco