When Stephen Eustaquio walks onto the MetLife Stadium pitch to play arguably the most important game of his national team career, he’ll take a few moments to himself.
The Canada vice-captain will be thinking about the people who were always closest to him and who would have pined to watch him play against World Cup champions Argentina in the Copa America semifinal.
He’ll be thinking about how to play with purpose.
“If you asked me at 20 years old if, in every training session and every game, I was thinking about it being the last game of my life?” Eustaquio told The Athletic in an interview. “No, I was a kid, I was naïve. But now, I have to take into consideration: ‘OK, what am I here for?’”
Over the last year, Eustaquio’s life has changed in a way no one should have the misfortune of experiencing. Yet when he plays for Canada, he now realizes how much his life has come full circle, and how playing for his country has given him an opportunity.
Not just for him, of course. But instead, to honor the memory of his parents who died recently, and in tragic circumstances. Follow the link below to read on.
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Canada’s Stephen Eustaquio finds purpose in Copa America after losing his parents: ‘What am I here for?’
