Argentina won 3-2 against Cape Verde after 120 minutes in the match played on the morning of July 4th (Vietnam time). However, focusing solely on the final score would be too harsh on what the African team showed. This was a match where Cape Verde forced the reigning world champions to fight until the very last minute to secure their place in the next round, and they deserve great respect.
After Cape Verde scored the equalizer, television cameras captured the surprised expression on the face of Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. "Dibu" has long been a symbol of excellence in goal, from the 2022 World Cup to major campaigns with the Argentina national team and Aston Villa. However, in this match, he had to pick the ball out of the net after a neat finish from Deroy Duarte. The shot from Cape Verde's number 14 went past an Argentina defender before beating Martínez, giving the African side the equalizer.
Perhaps in that moment, Martínez wondered, "What's happening?" And it wasn't just his bewilderment. The Argentinian players and millions of fans around the world must have been equally surprised that a small team like Cape Verde, making its first appearance on the biggest stage in the world, could cause so much trouble for the defending champions. Even more remarkably, the African team didn't collapse after Messi's opening goal, but instead bravely found an equalizer to take the game into extra time.
On the other side of the pitch, Cape Verde's goalkeeper Vozinha continued to show impressive form. Aside from Messi's spectacular opening goal, the 1986-born custodian repeatedly frustrated the Argentinian strikers with his excellent reflexes and positioning. In particular, immediately after the equalizer, Vozinha continued to shine in Messi's free-kick situations, helping Cape Verde take the match to extra time in a dramatic fashion.
In the first period of extra time, Cape Verde didn't give up. Argentina seemed to have victory within their grasp when Lisandro Martínez surged forward and unleashed a powerful shot to put them 2-1 up. However, the African representatives continued to show incredible resilience. They didn't panic, they didn't give up, but quickly responded with another spectacular goal to bring the game back to a tie, forcing Emiliano Martínez to pick the ball out of the net for the second time in the match.
But Argentina is Argentina, and Messi is still Messi. As the match entered the final minutes of the second extra time period, the character and class of the champions once again shone through. From a decisive moment, Argentina found their third goal to end the breathtaking chase with a 3-2 victory after 120 minutes. Messi continued to play a crucial role with a free-kick that created a scoring opportunity for his teammate, giving Argentina the lead at the right time.
However, Cape Verde refused to give up. In the final 10 minutes of the second half of extra time, they mounted a strong comeback, creating numerous dangerous moments in front of Dibu's goal. Many Argentinian fans held their breath, only breathing a sigh of relief when the final whistle blew.
Cape Verde may leave with regrets, but they left the field with their heads held high. Against a powerful Argentina, they fought with courage, discipline, and belief. For Argentina, it was a hard-fought but valuable victory, as it showed that even the reigning world champions cannot easily advance on any journey. And if Messi once again creates a miracle, Cape Verde will have contributed to writing one of the most memorable stories of the tournament.
Source: https://cand.vn/cam-phuc-cape-verde-post815773.html
