MUNDIAL·26

Round of 32 · Sunday, June 28 · Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles · 69,237 in the stands

kickoff 12:00 local · 21°C · 64% humidity · roofed stadium

South Africa

0:1

Canada

90+2′ Stephen EUSTAQUIO (pen)

tap a player for their match file

South Africa4-2-3-1
Canada4-4-2
Ronwen WILLIAMS6.9Aubrey MODIBA6.8Mbekezeli MBOKAZI6.6Khuliso MUDAU7.3Ime OKON7.4Teboho MOKOENA6.5Sphephelo SITHOLE7.0Oswin APPOLLIS6.9Relebohile MOFOKENG6.7Thapelo MASEKO6.7Evidence MAKGOPA6.3Maxime CREPEAU7.1Alistair JOHNSTON6.8Derek CORNELIUS7.4Moise BOMBITO6.8Richie LARYEA6.4Stephen EUSTAQUIO8.9Liam MILLAR6.2Nathan SALIBA6.6Jonathan DAVID6.9Tani OLUWASEYI6.4Tajon BUCHANAN6.2
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′RSACAN

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • 90+2′Eustáquio0.10 xG
RSA 0:0 CAN0'kickoff
6' Mokoena — xG 0.02 · Saved7' Eustáquio — xG 0.02 · Missed17' David — xG 0.11 · Missed22' Derek — xG 0.33 · Saved23' Mokoena — xG 0.02 · Blocked35' Oluwaseyi — xG 0.03 · Saved36' Okon — xG 0.01 · Missed41' Oluwaseyi — xG 0.06 · Missed44' Bombito — xG 0.26 · Blocked44' Buchanan — xG 0.18 · Saved62' Appollis — xG 0.03 · Missed65' Oluwaseyi — xG 0.15 · Saved66' De Fougerolles — xG 0.04 · Missed75' Mbatha — xG 0.01 · Missed76' P. David — xG 0.04 · Missed78' David — xG 0.07 · Saved85' Appollis — xG 0.03 · Missed90 + 2' Eustáquio — xG 0.10 · Goal

▶ Watch every shot in 3D⟲ Replay the match

The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

RSA 0:0 CAN
0.51.01.50′15′30′45′60′75′90′90 + 2' Eustáquio — GOAL0.121.39

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

RSA 4-2-3-1 attack →, ← CAN 4-4-2 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

1Ronwen WILLIAMSRonwen WILLIAMS6Aubrey MODIBAAubrey MODIBA14Mbekezeli MBOKAZIMbekezeli MBOKAZI20Khuliso MUDAUKhuliso MUDAU21Ime OKONIme OKON4Teboho MOKOENATeboho MOKOENA13Sphephelo SITHOLESphephelo SITHOLE7Oswin APPOLLISOswin APPOLLIS10Relebohile MOFOKENGRelebohile MOFOKENG12Thapelo MASEKOThapelo MASEKO17Evidence MAKGOPAEvidence MAKGOPA16Maxime CREPEAUMaxime CREPEAU2Alistair JOHNSTONAlistair JOHNSTON13Derek CORNELIUSDerek CORNELIUS15Moise BOMBITOMoise BOMBITO22Richie LARYEARichie LARYEA7Stephen EUSTAQUIOStephen EUSTAQUIO11Liam MILLARLiam MILLAR25Nathan SALIBANathan SALIBA10Jonathan DAVIDJonathan DAVID12Tani OLUWASEYITani OLUWASEYI17Tajon BUCHANANTajon BUCHANAN

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

56%
Possession
36%
0.16
Expected goals
1.33
45
Threat
55
6
Shots
12
1
On target
7
486
Passes completed
314
42
Forced turnovers
49
14.1s
Ball recovery time
20.9s
1.82
High-press phases
7.2
16
Fouls committed
9
1
Offsides
0
108 km
Distance covered
117 km
35.2 km/h
Top speed
35.0 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. South Africa attack →, ← Canada attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. ′Before the second half begins Thalente MBATHA (in) comes off the bench to replace Relebohile MOFOKENG (out) (South Africa)
  2. 54′Nathan SALIBA (Canada) is booked by the referee.
  3. 59′Niko SIGUR (in) comes off the bench to replace Nathan SALIBA (out) (Canada)
  4. 59′Luc DE FOUGEROLLES (in) comes off the bench to replace Moise BOMBITO (out) (Canada)
  5. 67′Niko SIGUR (Canada) is booked by the referee.
  6. 70′Promise DAVID (in) comes off the bench to replace Tani OLUWASEYI (out) (Canada)
  7. 70′Jacob SHAFFELBURG (in) comes off the bench to replace Liam MILLAR (out) (Canada)
  8. 75′Alphonso DAVIES (in) comes off the bench to replace Tajon BUCHANAN (out) (Canada)
  9. 86′Iqraam RAYNERS (in) comes off the bench to replace Evidence MAKGOPA (out) (South Africa)
  10. 86′Tshepang MOREMI (in) comes off the bench to replace Thapelo MASEKO (out) (South Africa)
  11. 90+2′Stephen EUSTAQUIO (Canada) scores!!

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

South Africa's Possession, Canada's Ruthlessness

South Africa suffocated the match for 90 minutes. With 56 per cent possession and a textbook 4-2-3-1, they circulated the ball between their lines with the sterile precision of a team afraid to break shape. Canada, in a sharp 4-4-2, conceded the territory and sprinted. Where South Africa made 1.8 high-press forays, Canada made 7.2, turning over the ball 49 times to South Africa's 42. The match was a masterclass in one principle: possession without penetration is just passing practice.

The number—0.16 expected goals from 56 per cent possession—was South Africa's verdict. Canada's was 1.33 from 36 per cent. Stephen Eustáquio (8.9) orchestrated the press and the break with the urgency South Africa's midfield could not match. Canada wasted a 0.33 xG chance in the 22nd minute, a 0.26 in the 44th, a 0.18 in the same minute, and a 0.15 in the 65th. They finally converted from 0.10 xG in the 90th minute plus two, the winner arriving when South Africa's legs had gone.

South Africa's 56 per cent possession and one shot on target against Canada's 12 shots and 1.33 xG: the gap between control and threat was wider than the Pacific.

90+2′

Canada's injury-time goal ends South Africa's dominance-without-reward.

What South Africa needed

Possession without a knife edge counts for nothing against organised pressure.

  • Press mismatch: 1.8 high-press phases versus Canada's 7.2. Possession needs aggression.
  • 0.16 xG from 56 per cent possession exposes a creation deficit, not a lack of territory.
  • 42 forced turnovers, one shot on target: transition play lacked urgency and incision.

What Canada needed

Pressing intensity and a late clinical finish beat greater possession.

  • 7.2 high-press phases forced 49 turnovers; defensive intensity created the winning chaos.
  • Converted 0.10 xG at 90+2 after missing 0.92 xG earlier; ruthlessness overcame wastefulness.
  • Survived squandered chances at 22, 44, 44, 65 minutes (0.33, 0.26, 0.18, 0.15 xG each).