Friday, July 3, not only signified the end of the work week, but the final match day of the Round of 32. The day started with an exciting matchup between Egypt and Australia that saw the two sides level after regulation. After two extra-time halves, the match went to a penalty shootout, with Egypt leaving victorious. After that, all eyes turned to Miami for another David vs. Goliath matchup: defending World Cup champions Argentina facing the courageous Cabo Verde, who’ve continued to make history with every match played.
The Blue Sharks of Cabo Verde have been riding high ever since the first matchday of their Group H campaign. Their 0-0 draw against tournament favorites Spain made headlines as they earned their first-ever point and clean sheet in a World Cup. Their goalkeeper, Vozinho, made 7 saves in their historic draw and became a worldwide headline. After a 2-2 draw with Uruguay and another 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia, Cabo Verde advanced from the group stage in second place, a monumental achievement in itself. That massive accomplishment earned them their match tonight against Lionel Messi and Argentina. Their path never got easier, but the Blue Sharks never wavered.
Argentina came out in a 4-4-2 with a front six that would make most teams quiver. Their midfield consisted of Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), and Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami CF). Their two attacking options were Lautaro Martínez (Inter) and Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF), two forwards who would bring most opponents to their knees. But that’s what makes the story of Cabo Verde so special: they haven’t backed down to anyone.
Most analysts (and fans by most accounts) sized up the Blue Sharks as minnows against La Albiceleste. But with their heads held high, one of the smallest countries of the tournament came out in a 4-1-4-1 formation. To put that in perspective, the mighty Netherlands, which was stacked with superstars, came out in an overly defensive formation against Morocco (with five defensive backs). So, for Cabo Verde to face the defending world champions in a standard formation, without showing any signs of weakness or backing down, deserves acknowledgement and respect.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who led the Golden Boot race with 7 goals, added another goal to his account in the 29th minute. Beating Vozinho near post, Messi put the Argentines up 1-0, and Miami Stadium erupted. A sea of white and sky blue (albiceleste) erupted in celebration as their all-time leading goalscorer pushed the South American country one step closer to the Round of 16. Everyone assumed this match was just a bump in Argentina’s path to a second World Cup. But the tiny West African nation of 530,000 never backed down, and in the second half, completely changed the vibe of Miami Stadium.
In the 59th minute, not just Miami Stadium, but the world as we know it gasped. With a quick run-up of play, Cabo Verde’s Deroy Duarte nabbed an unexpected goal that sent his side’s bench into a frenzy. The stadium, which sat 98% sky blue, went from cheering and singing to boos and jeers. The songs would eventually reappear, but boos drowned them out. How dare this tiny nation, which most people had never heard of, interrupt this dynasty from repeating as world champions? From the beginning, Cabo Verde believed. You saw the belief in their formation, you saw it in their style of play, and they were rewarded for it. After a stunning goal by Duarte and 7 saves by Vozinho, a team ranked 67th in the FIFA rankings took the best team in the world to extra time.
The break between regulation and extra time provided just enough time for Argentina to realize what was happening before their eyes. At the start of extra time, Messi and Co. made an immediate statement and scored two minutes in. Lisandro Martínez punched in a goal and celebrated with his teammates near the corner flag. A synchronized breath of relief filled the air, and the Argentines were up 2-1, just like that.
Let’s go back to June 15, after Cabo Verde drew Spain 0-0. After talking to a humble Jovane Cabral, I remembered his emphasis on one word: “Believing.” They believe in themselves, the Creator, and their manager, Bubista. “We are a small country, but we fight ’til the end,” said Cabral.
That belief is what pushed the Blue Sharks toe-to-toe with the champions and, against all odds, found another goal. This time, Sidny Lopes Cabral fired a rocket from outside the bottom corner of the box. A 25-yard missile flew past Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez, and just like that, the game was up for grabs.
In the second half of extra time, Argentina put things into overdrive and conjured another goal; this time from Cristian Romero. A corner kick upended the Blue Sharks, and Romero’s header put the champions ahead 3-2.
After 115 minutes, nature took its course. Limbs were flying, legs were stretched, and each side bore kits drenched in sweat. Cabral’s statement, “we fight ’til the end,” kept ringing in my head. Every foul, every slide tackle, showed a team that deserved to be represented by a shark. Repeated free kicks threatened in Argentina’s defensive third. The corner kicks were racking up after the 115th minute. One by one, each sequence of plays was more threatening than the last. With seconds ticking by, the Blue Sharks built up one last stand. Argentina, a team unfamiliar with playing on the back foot, were all of a sudden defending for their lives.
“We are a small country, but we fight ’til the end,” and that’s exactly what they did. After exhausting Argentina’s defense with three consecutive corner kicks, it felt both unjust and fitting when referee Drew Fischer blew the final whistle on yet another corner. Just like that, the match was over. Argentina advanced to the Round of 16, and Cabo Verde, even with a loss, humbled a long list of critics. One of those critics, admittedly, was Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni.
“Remember when I said we were on the easier part of the bracket?” Scaloni quipped about the difficulty in getting the win. “Hopefully, this match will show you all that there’s no such thing as an easy game.” He later continued with, “I just wanted the game to be over,” highlighting the nerve of the defending champions as they were pushed to the brink.
Earlier, I showed you how Cabo Verde showed more heart than the Netherlands and played without fear. With a back five, the Dutch scored one goal, goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen made 5 saves, and the defense made 22 clearances and 2 blocks. Cabo Verde scored two goals, Vozinho made 8 saves, and the defense made 27 clearances and 7 blocks. The difference? “Believing.”
Tonight’s match, which was the 100th for Lionel Scaloni, will be remembered as a battle to the last second. A match where Cabo Verde showed their quality and character, and Argentina were put in an unfamiliar position for 120 minutes.
“I don’t think any other team could’ve scored two goals against Argentina, and then taken the match into extra time,” said Cabo Verde manager Bubista after the match. “I think that speaks to the character of our team. We knew of the quality of our opponent, but I think we did our best, and we did it with bravery.”
This has been, without a doubt, the best match of the tournament so far and the best match of the Round of 32. The character shown by the West African nation is admirable and shows a layer of authenticity rarely seen in modern-day football. After the match, Bubista mentioned how his players were crying and hugging each other. “This is part of growing,” he began. “This helps us grow and also shows that the team has a soul.” Character, grit, and belief are just a few ways to describe this team. They’ve shown all these attributes from the beginning of the World Cup to tonight’s exit. One of the last responses he gave before ending his post-match press conference was, “Never did we fail to stay true to our identity.” His team’s performance and that statement earned a round of applause that has never been heard at the conclusion of a press conference.
Argentina won the match, but Cape Verde won our hearts and respect.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Eyoel Fassil