As Canadian men’s team pulled off a thrilling victory over Venezuela in the Copa America quarterfinals Friday, of course the man famous for scoring the “Golden Goal” was in the house.
Pittsburgh Penguins superstar and two-time Olympic gold medallist Sidney Crosby was on hand for the match at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, and witnessed as Canada completed a penalty shootout win and continue its debut run in the tournament.
Decked out in a Team Canada kit, Crosby, who scored the OT winner against the U.S. in the gold medal game in 2010, met with the players in the dressing room after the match, posed for a group photo and gave a victory speech.
“I just want to thank you guys, that was an incredible experience for me,” Crosby said. “To see that game live, the penalty kicks was insane, huge guts to put that one in but incredible. We’re cheering for you guys and that was awesome to be a part of, so I’m really proud of you guys.”
Crosby, who hails from Cole Harbour, and oddly enough it was a fellow Nova Scotian who opened the scoring. Jacob Shaffelburg, from Kentville, and dubbed “Maritime Messi” put Canada on the board first. Salomon Rondon tied it up for Venezuela in the second half and set the stage for the dramatic shootout.
Goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau made a pair of clutch saves, and Ismael Kone found the back of the net for Canada in the sudden-death sixth round.
“It was a roller-coaster,” Crosby told The Athletic. “I feel like there’s been a lot more eyeballs, a lot more attention on this team.”
Crosby and his longtime friends from back in their junior days with the Rimouski Oceanic chose to attend the match for their annual summer trip, according to the The Athletic, and a mutual friend invited him to the locker room.
“Maritime Messi” will face the real deal again in the semifinals as Canada is set to face Argentina and Lionel Messi in a rematch from the group stage on Tuesday. Argentina defeated Canada 2-0 to open the tournament on June 20.
