Argentina Feel The Cape Verde Fear Escape To Last 16

Mumbai: Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni stood on the sidelines rubbing his eyes and forehead. This was his reaction to his team finding the decisive goal in the World Cup Round off 32 win over Cape Verde at Miami on Saturday morning (IST). Near a corner flag, the Argentina players piled on each other in celebration while Scaloni looked on pensively.

As the defending champions took on tournament debutants Cape Verde, a goal fest was expected. In the end, five goals were scored over 120 minutes of football, Argentina escaping to a 3-2 win after a late own goal.

A tie that was rated as the biggest mismatch in the knockout stage proved to be one of the thrillers in World Cup history.

This was a match that saw the teams locked 1-1 after regulation time. A match that sprang to life with a wonderful Lionel Messi goal, scored at the end of an extraordinary pass from the halfway line with sublime control and shot.

A match that also produced the goal of the World Cup – Sidny Lopes Cabral struck a long-range effort from an acute angle to the top corner of Emiliano Martinez’s goal to bring Cape Verde level at 2-2 in extra time. The fightback was barely believable but underlined the qualities of a side that had stunned top contenders Spain by holding the European champions goalless.

On one side was Argentina’s steep World Cup history, quality across the pitch, and the world’s best player as spearhead. On the other was a team whose performances have belied the fact that its main defender was actually scouted via LinkedIn, asking questions for which the three-time champions struggled to find answers.

In the here and now, as a relieved Argentina prepare to face Egypt in the Round of 16, the concern will be that they cannot merely expect their captain Messi to deliver the goals.

Messi, at 39, continues to set new landmarks. He opened the scoring in the 29th minute, his seventh goal of this tournament extending his overall record World Cup tally to 20 in 30 matches. It also extends his record of scoring in eight Cup games in a row.

The Argentina talisman these days spends most of the match walking. He went on a casual stroll beyond the defenders into an unthreatening offside position. He slipped back on side just in time before sprinting ahead, controlling Lisandro Martinez’s lob from the halfway line. A sublime first touch with the outside of his left boot to control followed by a rising shot beat Cape Verde’s inspirational goalkeeper Vozinha, 40, who again pulled off save after save.

Messi is the focal point of Argentina’s attacks, but they have Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez, Thiago Almada and Alexis Mac Allister, all capable of launching and finishing attacks. Yet after taking the lead, La Albiceleste seemed satisfied to let Cape Verde keep the ball.

And Deroy Duarte scored in the 59th minute to make it 1-1.

For the galaxy of superstars in the Argentina line-up, only two of their eight goals scored in the group stage, came from players other than Messi. And those two were scored when he was not on the pitch (from a freekick and penalty, which Messi would have taken).

Against Cape Verde, the attacking players struggled to produce anything that really troubled the brilliant Vozinha. With the match pushed into extra time, it was eventually defender Lisandro Martinez – his rising finish would be the envy of any top striker – who helped regain the lead in the second minute after restart.

However, Cape Verde just won’t go away and Cabral equalised with a wondergoal.

The team from the island nation with a population of around 500,000 people were threatening to take the defending champions to penalties.

But another swing of the Messi’s foot gave Argentina the winner. Messi delivered a perfect corner in the 111th minute and Cristian Romero got his head to. The ball hit Cape Verde defender Diney Borges’s hand and was given as an own goal.

There was time for a few more attacks from Cape Verde as they chased an equaliser for the third time, giving a partisan crowd and the Argentina defence a few more anxious moments. It was relief for Argentina at the final whistle but heartbreak for the islanders.

There is a certain charm in silencing a crowd rooting for the opposition. In front of 64,478 fans in the Miami Stadium, a great majority rooting for Messi, the game began with song and dance in the stands. Cabo Verde silenced the merriment twice.

In the final few minutes there was noise again, this time it was more pleading their team to get over the line.

Argentina and Messi march on. But tiny Cape Verde has also left them seeking answers to the questions they asked. And moments they created that will live in the memory of fans for ages.

Been a sports journalist for over 11 years. Won the best article award at the PII-ICRC Annual Awards in 2024.