{"id":619993,"date":"2022-11-29T21:15:56","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T02:15:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/?p=619993"},"modified":"2022-11-29T21:10:36","modified_gmt":"2022-11-30T02:10:36","slug":"stephen-eustaquio-defensive-midfielder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2022\/11\/29\/stephen-eustaquio-defensive-midfielder\/","title":{"rendered":"Player Profile: Stephen Eust\u00e1quio, the Defensive Midfielder"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>PREVIEW<\/strong> \u2013\u00a0 Stephen Eust\u00e1quio of FC Porto blossomed into the professional soccer scene in Europe. He is also one of the few CanMNT players who did not play in MLS\/CPL and went straight into Europe. Eust\u00e1quio, the CanMNT\u2019s tactical midfielder, plays for FC Porto in Portugal right now. He was probably Canada\u2019s best player in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup and is an important piece to Canada.<\/p>\n<h2>Stephen Eust\u00e1quio: The Tactical Defensive Midfielder<\/h2>\n<p><a id=\"yFmWmPDTQfBcFj_LWhHSAA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1444689872\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'yFmWmPDTQfBcFj_LWhHSAA',sig:'oYRucp4a2fVUzBEN3G2FerOs3Pd3wGF6kqPr60NOoBw=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1444689872',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Childhood and Family<\/h3>\n<p>Stephen Eust\u00e1quio was born in Leamington, Ontario on December 21, 2022. He was brought up in a middle-class family in Leamington. Eust\u00e1quio is also the youngest of two kids and was born to Portuguese parents. His older brother, Mauro Eust\u00e1quio, played for Cavalry FC in the Canadian Premier League in 2019. Mauro is now currently the assistant head coach of York United FC. Stephen Eust\u00e1quio&#8217;s first club was Leamington MS, which has been Stephen\u2019s only team that he has played for in Canada.<\/p>\n<p>According to Joe Lennox of <a href=\"https:\/\/lifebogger.com\/stephen-eustaquio-childhood-biography-story-facts\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Life Bogger<\/a>, both his parents were born and grew up in Portugal. His brother, Mauro, played a big role in Stephen getting a role with the Canada U-17 team. According to Lennox\u2019s article, Mauro put in a good word about his brother, after an internship selection with Mallorca.<\/p>\n<p>In that same article, it was revealed that Eust\u00e1quio was always a defensive midfielder, but he needed to work on his technical skills. As a result, he found himself with Os Nazarenos for five years before moving to play for his youth team, Uniao de Leiria in 2010.<\/p>\n<p>A player who admires both David Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo, Eust\u00e1quio emigrated to Nazar\u00e9, Portugal at the age of 11 according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canadasoccer.com\/profile\/?id=5005\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Canada Soccer<\/a>. S.C.U. Torreense was the team he played for in the third division.<\/p>\n<p>This is what Stephen Eust\u00e1quio\u2019s father, Armando Eust\u00e1quio, said about his son being on the FIFA World Cup according to Kurlis Mati of iHeartRADIO:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iheartradio.ca\/am800\/news\/leamington-born-stephen-eustaquio-makes-world-cup-debut-1.18836189\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;It&#8217;s an amazing feeling to see your son playing at this level. The lifestyle isn&#8217;t easy, we started at the bottom and every year we grew up and reached the best teams in the world, and now he&#8217;s playing in the World Cup.&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Professional Club Journey<\/h3>\n<h4>Leix\u00f5es S.C. and G.D. Chaves<\/h4>\n<p>Stephen Eustaquio began his professional career with Leix\u00f5es S.C. His first professional game was a 2-0 home win over Acad\u00e9mico de Viseu F.C. in the first round of the Ta\u00e7a da Liga. He also made his debut in the Segunda Liga with a 4-1 loss to the Real Sport Clube. Eust\u00e1quio made 20 appearances for his first-ever pro club where he played senior minutes. He then made a big jump to G.D. Chaves in the same 2017-18 season.<\/p>\n<p>Eust\u00e1quio\u2019s next team was Grupo Desportivo de Chaves in the first tier of the Portuguese league. In that season, he scored his first-ever professional goal for the club.<\/p>\n<h4>Cruz Azul and F.C. Pa\u00e7os de Ferreira<\/h4>\n<p>Eust\u00e1quio then moved to Cruz Azul, but that was probably the most tumultuous time for him. He got an injury in his very first game according to <a href=\"https:\/\/vamoscruzazul.bolavip.com\/noticias\/Ex-Cruz-Azul-Nostalgico-mensaje-del-canadiense-Stephen-Eustaquio-20221128-0002.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vamos Azul<\/a>. He would never again play for the club. In fact, people thought that his future was very much in doubt when he recovered from the injury. This was also the only time Eust\u00e1quio played soccer professionally outside the country of Portugal.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Eust\u00e1quio had an appreciation for the Mexican fans despite the rough time with Cruz Azul as he said this to toldTUDN journalist Adri\u00e1n Esparza Oteo (source: Vamos Azul).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ominho.pt\/sc-braga-perde-no-dragao-mas-mantem-segundo-lugar\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;I don&#8217;t want to talk, but I send a big hug to all the people in Mexico.&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>However, Eustaquio got his career back on track with F.C. Pa\u00e7os de Ferreira. He made 65 appearances for the club and scored two goals in the process. His first goal came on October 24 against Nacional. That game ended in a draw, and six days later, he scored a goal against FC Porto.<\/p>\n<p>This is what Kundert said in Alan Feehely\u2019s article in the World Football Index:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s a lovely player,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/worldfootballindex.com\/2022\/01\/how-pacos-de-ferreiras-stephen-eustaquio-became-irreplaceable-for-canada\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Portuguese football expert Tom Kundert told WFi<\/a>.\u00a0 \u201cNot too eye-catching but everything he does, he does well. At his best, he can really control a game. And he has a very high footballing IQ.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s surprising he\u2019s still at Pa\u00e7os, but I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll move on to a bigger club soon, maybe even one of Portugal\u2019s big three.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>FC Porto<\/h4>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Eustaquio On Target | Club Brugge vs. FC Porto Highlights (UEFA Champions League 2022-2023)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/r0-Oo4Z6H3k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Eust\u00e1quio would get that chance with FC Porto as he played for the team via a loan for eight games. This season though, so far, has been his best. He played only 11 games this year and has scored two goals. He also scored two goals in the Champions League to help FC Porto qualify for the Round of 16. For a defensive midfielder, that is very impressive.<\/p>\n<h3>National Team Career with the CanMNT<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Stephen Eust\u00e1quio with an UNBELIEVABLE free-kick\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rhR8H4uZ9WQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2022\/11\/20\/2022-canmnt-world-cup-preview\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">The 2022 CanMNT World Cup Preview: Looking to Make History<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eust\u00e1quio\u2019s career with the CanMNT started in 2019. His first-ever game was a 4-1 loss to the U.S. in the Concacaf Nations League.<\/p>\n<p>He made a big impact with the national team in the Concacaf Gold Cup, scoring three goals, and having a critical assist. In particular, he scored a goal and assisted in Junior Hoilett\u2019s goal against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals. As a result, Canada made the semi-finals stage of the Concacaf Gold Cup for the first time since 2007.<\/p>\n<p>This is what Herdman said about Eustaquio according to Chris Jones of CBC Sports:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The tactical conversations we have, the tiny micro details on his physical preparation, it&#8217;s next level.&#8221;\u00a0 Eust\u00e1quio is so hard on himself, so limitless in his aspirations, he can leave his coach feeling like an imposter, unable to meet the same measures. &#8220;If you have a day off, you know it,&#8221; <a href=\"The%20tactical%20conversations%20we%20have,%20the%20tiny%20microdetails%20on%20his%20physical%20preparation,%20it's%20next%20level.%22%20%20Eust\u00e1quio%20is%20so%20hard%20on%20himself,%20so%20limitless%20in%20his%20aspirations,%20he%20can%20leave%20his%20coach%20feeling%20like%20an%20imposter,%20unable%20to%20meet%20the%20same%20measures.%20%22If%20you%20have%20a%20day%20off,%20you%20know%20it,%22%20Herdman%20said.%20%22If%20you're%20below%20his%20standard,%20you%20know%20it.%20He%20pushes%20us%20as%20hard%20as%20we%20push%20him.\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Herdman said<\/a>. &#8220;If you&#8217;re below his standard, you know it. He pushes us as hard as we push him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The 25-year-old midfielder is a key player for the CanMNT. He played very well against Belgium, where Kevin De Bruyne was left largely quiet. In fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=91nRE120sFs\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eustaquio was able to compete and get past de Bruyne in one particular play<\/a> in particular and give a scoring chance to Jonathan David.<\/p>\n<h3>Games Coming Up For the CanMNT<\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&quot;Even if we didn&#39;t qualify, I made the best decision of my life to come play for Canada.&quot;<\/p>\n<p>WE STAN STEPHEN EUST\u00c1QUIO! \ud83d\ude0d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PgvkP1jPMJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/PgvkP1jPMJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Sportsnet\/status\/1508214024164581381?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 27, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong>READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2022\/11\/26\/atiba-hutchinson-canmnts-reliable-captain\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Player Profile: Atiba Hutchinson, the CanMNT\u2019s Reliable Captain<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the CanMNT are out of the FIFA World Cup after losing to Croatia 4-1. There is still something to play for as Canada looks to make history. A win would really mean something for this national team, which has never gotten a result previously in a FIFA World Cup. And if that does happen, Eust\u00e1quio could very well play a big part in that result.<\/p>\n<p>The game will be televised nationally in Canada on TSN and CTV at 10:00 AM ET on Thursday. It will also be televised live in Quebec.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PREVIEW \u2013\u00a0 Stephen Eust\u00e1quio of FC Porto blossomed into the professional soccer scene in Europe. He is also one of the few CanMNT players who did not play in MLS\/CPL and went straight into Europe. Eust\u00e1quio, the CanMNT\u2019s tactical midfielder, plays for FC Porto in Portugal right now. He was probably Canada\u2019s best player in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3104,"featured_media":619995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9541,161,2132],"tags":[2212,9592,1118,9582,9552,8488],"class_list":["post-619993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canmnt","category-international-football","category-world-cup","tag-canada","tag-f-c-pacos-de-ferreira","tag-fc-porto","tag-notable-players","tag-stephen-eustaquio","tag-world-cup-2022"],"modified_by":"Raheem Bashir, Site Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=619993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619993\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/619995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=619993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=619993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=619993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}