For players and fans, Canada's World Cup win on Sunday was worth the decades-long wait

In the minutes after Canada’s men did what once seemed impossible — after they had won the first World Cup elimination game in their history, 1-0 over South Africa on a glorious Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles — head coach Jesse Marsch gathered his team together in a circle so tight it made its own gravity.

“You should be so proud of who you are,” he shouted over the sound of the still-cheering crowd. “You should be so proud of this game. You never lost belief. You went after it, point after point, moment after moment. You are Canadian heroes.”

For long-suffering Canadian soccer fans, the scene was surreal, as though they were watching another country’s celebrations. Instead, Stephen Eustáquio’s winner, scored on a long volley in the 92nd minute, made our own history: Canada will now play in its first Round of 16.

In some ways, it’s easy for this team to set new standards, because for decades, there were no standards.

Stephen Eustáquio plays Canada's World Cup hero as last-minute goal defeats South Africa

South Africa vs. Canada: Soccer North Reaction Show

Canada’s men qualified for their first World Cup in 1986 in Mexico and lost all three games, failing even to score a goal. It took 36 years for them to qualify again, in 2022 in Qatar, where they lost all three games, though at least scoring twice in the process.

In between, they were so awful, they might have been a national embarrassment if anyone thought to care about them. In 2012 — not so long ago, as soccer cycles go — they travelled to Honduras in World Cup qualifying and lost 8-1.

“We were terrible,” then-captain Kevin McKenna said after. “It’s an absolute low for us.”

Somehow, things got worse. The team went winless in 16 consecutive games. It endured 958