Argentina and Cape Verde delivered the most gripping contest of the World Cup to date, with the African underdogs driving the defending champions to the brink of a shock exit through a fearless display and two goals that left Lionel Messi and his team rattled.
Heroes do not always arrive in Cape Verde shirts, but on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium, an entire squad of them did. From the opening whistle to the final moments, the match served up high drama, constant twists and the kind of defiance that showed Cape Verde had no intention of being intimidated.
Appearing at their first World Cup, Cape Verde twice came from behind in this Round of 32 encounter, with Sidny Lopes Cabral producing a superb curling finish from a narrow angle to make it 2-2 in extra time.
His celebration — sprinting into the stands to find his girlfriend before wrapping her in an embrace — felt instantly destined for World Cup folklore, and for a brief, breathless spell it seemed Cape Verde might complete one of the tournament’s great upsets.
Argentina, though, finally found a way through again when Cristian Romero rose to meet Messi’s corner and headed them 3-2 in front with nine minutes of extra time remaining. This time, the Blue Sharks could not respond, sending Argentina into a Round of 16 meeting with Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Messi had given Argentina the lead in the 29th minute, cushioning a long diagonal pass from Lisandro Martinez with a magnificent first touch before driving the ball beyond Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who had already become a cult figure after his man-of-the-match heroics in the goalless group-stage draw with Spain.
Argentina edged past Cape Verde in Miami after Cristian Romero’s late header deflected in off a defender’s arm
Yet the night in Miami belonged in many ways to Cape Verde, who produced a magnificent performance against the reigning world champions
Sidny Lopes Cabral scored a 103rd-minute stunner – and blitzed straight to his partner in the stands to celebrate
But Argentina, and the world of football, got the shock of their lives when Cape Verde equalised in the 59th minute. A shot from Deroy Duarte flew through the legs of Lisandro Martinez and across a stunned Emiliano Martinez and into the bottom corner of the net.
Messi had a fine chance to put Argentina back into the lead three minutes later when he was freed by a fine touch from Lautaro Martinez but his shot was too close to Vozinha, who blocked it with his body. The sight of Messi not converting a chance at this tournament has become a collector’s item.
Vozinha produced another fine save when he clawed away a free kick from Messi that was curling away from him towards the top corner but he was powerless to stop Lisandro Martinez’s viciously hit shot early in the first period of extra time that flew over him at the near post.
That felt as if it might be the end of Cape Verde’s resistance but then Lopes Cabral stepped up in the 104th minute with the goal of the tournament so far and his foray into the crowd. It will be remembered as one of the great World Cup moments.
Argentina looked stunned but they did not wilt and six minutes into the second period of extra time, a Messi corner spun off a combination of Cristian Romero and Cape Verde defender Diney Borges and looped into the net.
Emiliano Martinez produced a brilliant save to keep out a free kick from Lopes Cabral. There were to be no more forays into the crowd.
Would it have been the greatest upset in World Cup history?
It would have been right up there. That distinction is probably shared by North Korea 1-0 Italy at the 1966 World Cup and USA 1-0 England at the 1950 World Cup but a Cape Verde win in Miami might have surpassed both.
It was Cape Verde’s first appearance in the finals and they were playing the World Cup holders. Cape Verde only had one player in their ranks who plays in the top 5 European leagues. And Argentina have Messi, who is irresistible and who no other team can cope with. Cape Verde came desperately close to pulling off the biggest shock of the lot.
Lopes Cabral’s sensational strike into the top corner will go down as one of the World Cup’s great goals
The left-back celebrated in ecstasy for, at that moment, it appeared as though the Cape Verdeans were about to pull off one of the great upsets
Can England take any encouragement from what happened here?
When they have stopped worrying about what time their match against Mexico is actually going to kick-off and quite what else awaits them in Mexico City, then, yes, they can.
Cape Verde were superb in Miami and they made Argentina look ordinary. England have to beat Mexico and, probably, Brazil, before they would play Argentina in the semi-final but if both teams get that far, England will know that Argentina are vulnerable. France are the best team in the tournament. After that, there are a number of teams scrabbling to try to reach their level.
What was the best part of the Cape Verde story at this World Cup?
Drawing with Spain in their first ever game at the tournament wasn’t a bad start. That made Vozinha a cult hero overnight. He has played in Moldova, Cyprus, Slovakia and the second division in Portugal and is currently unattached. He is 40 and he was superb again in Miami.
Seeing their centre back Pico Lopes giving Messi a dressing down at half-time for complaining to the referee was impressive in its own way, too. Lopes, who was working as a mortgage advisor when he was recruited to play for Cape Verde via LinkedIn, plays his club football for Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland. The team was hoping to find somewhere to stop on their way back from their win at Sligo Rovers on Friday night to catch this tie. A club official was asked whether Lopes would get Messi’s shirt at the end of the game. ‘He’s probably going to be grabbing hold of it for most of the match anyway,’ he said, ‘so he might as well.’
The Cape Verdeans were distraught at the final whistle – but the nation were incredible once again in Miami
It was a Romero header which left Vozinha no chance that ultimately won it for the Argentinians
For once, the story was not about Lionel Messi at this World Cup, though the Argentinian captain did score in the first-half
For once, the story was not about Lionel Messi
No, it wasn’t but the greatest player the world has ever seen still managed to score a sublime goal to put Argentina ahead in the first half and contribute the assist for his team’s winner deep in extra time. His goal took him a goal clear of Kylian Mbappe in the compelling race for the Golden Boot. Messi now has seven goals in this tournament.
What can we say about the goal celebration of Sidny Lopes Cabral?
It’s competition for the Marco Tardelli reaction to scoring for Italy in the 1982 World Cup final against West Germany. There was something beautiful about the spontaneity of it and the boldness of it. It isn’t the done thing in football to head into the stands to embrace your girlfriend. Pat Cash started a trend when he climbed up to the Players’ Box to celebrate when he won the Wimbledon’s men’s singles title in 1987 and others have done it since. Prepare for more players seeking out their Wags in the future.
Were there any other records set at the Hard Rock?
David Beckham’s like Zelig at this World Cup. He’s everywhere.
You look up from your plate of food in a restaurant and he’s on the television screen, advertising any one of about six products. It must be a new World Cup best. And he’s at an awful lot of games, too.
He’s been at all England’s games and he was here in his adopted home city of Miami, where he is a part owner of Inter Miami, and therefore, in a way, Lionel Messi’s boss. If England and Brazil meet here in Miami in a quarter-final next weekend, that’s a tie that will be right in his sweet spot.
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