Nova Scotia star Shaffelburg at Copa America an ‘achievement for the whole family’
Global News
Shaffelburg is the only Nova Scotian at this year's Copa América, the oldest international soccer tournament, where he and his Canadian teammates play in the semi-finals tonight.
For Zachary Shaffelburg, watching his younger brother Jacob emerge as a shining star during team Canada’s first-ever appearance at the Copa America soccer tournament feels like an “achievement for the whole family.”
From Port Williams, N.S., a small town in the Annapolis Valley, Jacob Shaffelburg, 24, turned heads as a second-half substitute during a match against Peru on June 25 when he assisted the only goal of the game, scored by teammate Jonathan David. Then Shaffelburg scored the opening goal on July 5 before Canada knocked out Venezuela 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the quarterfinals.
His recent displays on the pitch have earned him the nickname the “Maritimes Messi,” after the global superstar Lionel Messi — who just happens to be leading No. 1 Argentina, Canada’s semifinal opponent Tuesday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
“Even when he was quite young, he’d be stinging these crazy hard shots at my friends that would try to play in net,” Shaffelburg’s older brother said in an interview Monday.
“He’s worked quite hard for this … I couldn’t be happier that he’s doing this.”
Shaffelburg is the only Nova Scotian competing at this year’s Copa America, a quadrennial tournament featuring 10 South American teams and six teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
The team Canada forward left his home province when he was 15 to attend the Berkshire School, a prep school in Massachusetts before getting called up to the professional leagues with the Toronto FC academy. His current home team is Nashville SC, where he plays midfield.
The youngest Shaffelburg is not the only one in the family with a love for the game. His older brother also left Nova Scotia at 15 to play at a soccer academy in the United States before going on to the youth national league. Jessica Shaffelburg, the middle sibling, is a great soccer player as well, said Zachary, who credited her influence on Jacob’s early development.
