Reigning champions Argentina survived the biggest scare of their World Cup title defence, needing extra time to see off tournament debutants Cape Verd
Reigning champions Argentina survived the biggest scare of their World Cup title defence, needing extra time to see off tournament debutants Cape Verde 3-2 in a dramatic Round of 32 tie in Miami on Friday night, one of the most memorable matches of the tournament thus far.
Lionel Messi gave Argentina the perfect start, latching onto a long ball from Lisandro Martínez in the 29th minute before taking a touch and firing home to open the scoring.
The goal extended Messi’s remarkable World Cup scoring record, taking his tally to seven for the tournament and moving him further clear as the competition’s all-time leading scorer, now two goals ahead of Kylian Mbappé on the all-time list.
But Cape Verde, the lowest-ranked side ever to reach the knockout stages, refused to fold. Deroy Duarte squeezed a finish into the far corner just before the hour mark to level the score and send a wave of belief through the Cabo Verdean ranks, stunning the pro-Argentina crowd.
Goalkeeper Vozinha, 40, already a breakout star of the tournament, produced a string of crucial saves, including one to deny Messi from a free-kick, to help drag the match into extra time at 1-1.
The additional 30 minutes produced still more drama. Lisandro Martínez restored Argentina’s lead in the 103rd minute, converting from a corner to make it 2-1.
Almost immediately, Cape Verde responded stunningly as Sidny Lopes Cabral curled in a strike from the edge of the box that will be remembered as one of the great goals of the tournament, levelling the score again at 2-2 and threatening to complete one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.
With tension mounting, it was Argentina who finally found a way through.
In the 111th minute, Cristian Romero rose to meet a Messi corner, and his header deflected off Cape Verde defender Diney Borges into his own net, handing Argentina a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish.
For Cape Verde, a nation of just over 600,000 people, the defeat brought a stunning World Cup debut to an end, but not before they had already earned the respect of the footballing world.
They held Spain and Saudi Arabia to goalless draws and drew 2-2 with Uruguay in the group stage before pushing the reigning champions to the very brink in the knockouts.
Argentina, meanwhile, move on to face Egypt in the round of 16 in Atlanta on Tuesday, with Mo Salah’s compatriots having beaten Australia on penalties earlier in the day.
Lionel Scaloni’s side will hope for a smoother passage after a night that tested their title credentials to the limit, but manager and players alike will know they have been warned: at this World Cup, no team can be taken lightly.
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