Football World Cup: World Cup thriller: Argentina needs extra time against Cape Verde

In front of 64,478 spectators in his adopted home of Miami, Messi scored his seventh goal at this tournament and his 20th overall at a World Cup in the 29th minute. After the break, Deroy Duarte (59′) punished Argentina’s passivity for the first time.

The small island state came back again in extra time after Lisandro Martinez made it 2-1 (93′). Former Rot-Weiß-Erfurt and Viktoria-Köln player Sidny Lopes Cabral scored a dream goal in the 103rd minute. Argentina’s goal to make it 3-2 was classified by FIFA as an own goal by Diney Borges in the 111th minute – after a corner kick from Messi.

The outsiders Cape Verde also surpassed themselves in this game. Just like the team from the small island state had already beaten the former world champions Spain (0-0) and Uruguay (2-2) in the preliminary round, they played this time too: with a massive defensive ring in front of their own penalty area.

Cape Verde keeper dribbling

Often Messi could only avoid this by regularly dropping to the right side or in midfield. But even when he got the ball, two “blue sharks” immediately pounced on him.

Goalkeeper Vozinha demonstrated how great Cape Verde’s self-confidence was after an undefeated group stage in the 7th minute: The 40-year-old successfully dribbled against Lautaro Martinez in his own penalty area.

But against Messi this magic also disappeared at some point – at least at first. In the first action after the first drinking break, the 39-year-old scored in a remarkable sequence of receiving the ball and finishing. Lisandro Martinez had previously outplayed Cape Verde’s defense with a long ball into the penalty area.

Argentina is becoming too passive

What happened next was not known in the tournament so far: the very experienced and well-rehearsed Argentine team increasingly let control of the game slip. Messi and Co. actually have a very good feel for the rhythm of a game. But this time the restraint was exaggerated.

It took some time before Cape Verde could really take advantage of this. The first semi-dangerous chance came in the 53rd minute with a long-range shot from Deroy Duarte. But the outsider managed to move the game meter by meter into the Argentine half until the equalizer.

The world champion reacted immediately to this shock. The almost 50,000 Argentine fans became louder again. Coach Lionel Scaloni immediately substituted the two offensive players Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Gonzalez.

Privatduell Messi – Voice

And then something like a private duel began between the 39-year-old Messi and the 40-year-old Vozinha: In the 63rd minute, Argentina’s captain was completely free in front of the Cape Verde goalkeeper. Ten minutes later he also parried one of the superstar’s free kicks (73′) – and then the next one in stoppage time (90’+5).

Argentina’s pressure was increasing. But Cape Verde’s defense kept getting caught in the way. Pico Lopes almost scored an own goal (81′).

Trembling until the final whistle

In extra time, something that shouldn’t have happened from the outsider’s point of view happened: an early goal. Man United professional Martinez chased the ball under the crossbar after a corner from Messi and a header from Alexis Mac Allister.

The renewed equalizer was even more worth seeing: 23-year-old Sidny from Benfica Lisbon flicked the ball into the top right corner of the goal – and then ran into the stands to celebrate.

Argentina pressed forward, with the penalty shootout already in sight, before Messi’s corner ended up in their own goal through Borges. But the tremors continued, on the other side world champion keeper Emiliano Martínez saved the lead – and the victory (117th).