Cape Verde exits World Cup after extra-time loss to Argentina
Argentina beat Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time, ending the Blue Sharks’ first World Cup after a tense Round of 32 match in Miami Gardens.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Argentina ended Cape Verde’s first World Cup on Friday, beating the Blue Sharks 3-2 after extra time in a Round of 32 match in Miami Gardens, Florida. The result sent the defending champions on and closed a debut run that the Associated Press reported had turned Cape Verde into one of the tournament’s most followed stories.
Cape Verde did not win a match at the World Cup, according to the AP, but three draws in group play were enough to reach the knockout round. The team opened with a scoreless draw against Spain, then added two more draws before meeting Argentina, the world’s top-ranked team entering the tournament.
Goalkeeper Vozinha, 40, stood at the center of the run. The AP reported that one of his goals for the tournament was for his mother to see him play, and an international effort helped bring her to the United States during group play.
Against Argentina, Vozinha helped keep Cape Verde in the match for more than two and a half hours of real time. Lionel Messi scored, then delivered a corner kick midway through the second half of extra time that led to the winning goal, according to the AP.
“We have dignified Cape Verde as a national team in most parts of the world,” Vozinha said in Portuguese, according to the AP. “Today, we fought on an equal footing against Argentina.”
The AP reported that Vozinha made several key saves on Messi during the final hour of play. He stopped a close-range right-footed shot in the 63rd minute, pushed away a curling free kick in the 73rd, handled a low free kick in stoppage time and denied another Messi effort late in the first extra-time period.
Cape Verde defender Pico Lopes praised the goalkeeper after the match. “He’s a quality, quality goalkeeper,” Lopes told the AP. “Probably hasn’t gotten the recognition he deserves before this. ... He’s a legend in Cape Verdean football.”
Lopes had his own unusual route into the national team. The AP reported that he was recruited through a LinkedIn message, one of several details that helped make Cape Verde’s campaign stand out during the tournament.
Cape Verde coach Bubista said the opponent made the task clear. “Argentina is a world champion and they have one of the best players in the world, so that in itself speaks of the challenge it was for our team to overcome them,” he told the AP. He added that Cape Verde wants to improve so it can get more chances against the tournament’s leading teams.
The AP reported that Cape Verde is the smallest country by land area to qualify for a World Cup, and that its population is about 1% of Argentina’s. By reaching this stage, Cape Verde will receive $11 million from FIFA.
Lopes said the team’s impact went beyond the prize money. Fans around the world contacted the squad during its run, according to the AP, and Cape Verde left with a higher profile in global soccer. “Nobody has to ask where Cape Verde is now,” Lopes said. “They know where we are.”
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.