8 things on World Cup: Argentina survives, but Cape Verde wins world’s hearts

Cape Verde’s players celebrate after scoring their equaliser. The underdogs from Western Africa took world champions Argentina to extra time in a World Cup classic. (EPA Images pic)

PETALING JAYA: It would have been the greatest shock in the history of sport – not just football. But, alas, agonisingly, Cape Verde couldn’t quite snatch a third equaliser after frightening the life out of Argentina.

Even Lionel Messi looked shaken, although he’d taken his World Cup goals tally to 20 in all.

The world champions move on but were rattled by the underdogs who came back to level twice and took them to extra time in a World Cup classic.

Earlier, Egypt outsmarted Australia, winning a penalty shootout to win a knockout match for the first time, while Colombia managed to get past a typically gritty Ghana to complete the Round of 32.

This is what we learned on the completion of the Round of 32.

Sidny Lopes Cabral celebrating in the stands among the Cape Verde supporters after scoring the second equaliser for his nation. (AFP pic)

1. Cape Verde lost but stole the show

Winning is everything? Not any longer. Not after Cape Verde.

In the end, they lost, but by the time a shell-shocked Argentina squeezed past them, minutes from a penalty shootout, the 10-island archipelago off the west coast of Africa had jolted football off its axis. And they kept doing it.

First, it was European Champions Spain. Then Uruguay. Then Saudi Arabia. But most sensational of all was to come back twice against the World Champions. And even after nicking the lead, Argentina was hanging on as Cape Verde pressed for yet another equaliser.

It didn’t quite come, but decades from now, regardless of what happens in the rest of the fixtures, the 2026 World Cup will be remembered as Cape Verde’s tournament.

Had they won, it would have been the miracle of miracles. But even getting this far, it compares with the great underdog stories: Leicester City, Buster Douglas, Macclesfield Town, the US amateur ice-hockey team, David (v Goliath).

This is a team made up of players from the second, third and fourth tiers of world football. From a population of 525,000, they are Cinderellas to Cinderella, yet they went toe-to-toe with both the European Champions and World Champions. They will never be forgotten.

Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha deserves to be goalie of the tournament after his many saves against Spain, Uruguay, and now this against Argentina. (EPA Images pic)

2. Cabral’s curler could be the Goal of the World Cup, Vozinha its goalie

If there’s a single moment of the tournament so far, it has to be when Sidny Lopes Cabral whipped a curling right-foot shot from a narrow angle into the top corner to make it 2-2 in extra-time.

The Hard Rock Stadium erupted and Cabral, a left-back who has just joined Trabzonspor in Turkey, leapt into the crowd to celebrate with his partner.

It’s a strong contender for Goal of the World Cup. There were other good goals from both sides, but this even outshone Messi’s opener. The Little Maestro showed he still has Velcro on his boots as he killed a Lisandro Martinez pass and knocked it home.

The Manchester United centre-back surpassed that moment with a goal of his own past the valiant Vozinha. The Little Grandma’, as he’s known, was unheard of outside his own household when the tournament began. But his heroics, first against Spain but many since then, have earned him 17 million Instagram followers.

He’ll be getting more after another display when he defied Messi with a save from a quick free-kick. He even showed some decent footwork late on.

3. Rivals will sense a weakness in rattled champions

Argentina will not have welcomed being taken to extra time. Not in front of the watching world, looking for weaknesses. Especially not in front of France, Spain and Brazil, their most likely rivals for the trophy.

To be taken to the brink of the greatest humiliation in the history of the game was too close for comfort. Yes, they came through in the end. But relief was palpable, even from Messi.

It could be one of those occasions when great teams win when playing badly. But the way Cape Verde came for them, like a dog chasing an especially juicy-looking bone, was an eye-opener. Argentina struggled to keep them at bay.

Most of the 2022 title-winning team are here, and eventually they got the job done, but their rivals may have taken more encouragement from their struggle.

Lionel Messi scored yet again, as he has in every other match in this World Cup. (EPA Images pic)

4. Can Messi last the pace?

It all started so well: a trademark goal from the great man with a comfortable win in prospect. And a probable early rest after maybe knocking in a couple more to extend his lead in the Golden Boot race.

However, Cape Verde had not read that script. The holders were pushed to their very limits by a team ranked 62 places below them in the FIFA pecking order.

Messi stayed on the field for the duration. He did get an assist and came close to scoring again, but his brow became increasingly furrowed as these pesky and skilful opponents refused to bow.

Coach Lionel Scaloni rang the changes but Argentina were never able to stamp their authority over Cape Verde.

Messi, who turned 39 a week ago, had probably not expected to play as much. He has started in three of the four matches and was brought on for half an hour against Jordan. He has now scored in every match this World Cup.

So much for being nursed through in carefully managed cameos, as many predicted. Now he faces four more matches against high-class opponents if he’s to play in another final.

His resilience is almost as remarkable as his ability. Even when he does take a breather, he pops up at opportune moments. Spotting Vozinha nowhere near the centre of his line at a free-kick, he tried to catch him out, but the keeper moved quickly to grab it.

Perhaps, he and his team can feel grateful that their next opponents are Egypt, who may not give them as stiff a test as their West African counterparts did.

Egypt’s star striker Mo Salah getting ready to take the panenka penalty that fooled the Australian keeper. (EPA Images pic)

5. Egyptian king prolongs his reign

Superstars know when to shine. Even when feeling their age, with a dodgy hamstring and being overshadowed by rivals. Left behind in the Golden Boot race by Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and company, Mo Salah still had a job to do for his country against Australia.

History was bound to be made as neither nation had ever won a World Cup knockout fixture. But the Pharaohs had been waiting longer and made their experience count. And it was the Egyptian king himself who played a key role.

Nursing his injury, he had a quiet game, but it was still his slick back-heel that allowed Karim Hafez to cross for Eman Ashour to score. And then in the penalty shootout, he showed his leadership with a perfectly executed Panenka.

It’s always a risk, but if it succeeds, it can be worth more than a goal, as it was here.

Salah explained: “If somebody was going to do it, it would be me. I am more experienced than the others and I wanted to give them confidence. I decided at the last minute. I had to do it.”

Egypt went on to score all five, whereas the Aussies missed twice. And Salah, who was in tears at the end, now faces a clash with football’s current king, Lionel Messi, in the Round of 16 on Wednesday.

Australian players after the heartbreak of losing yet another knockout game in the World Cup, this time to Egypt. (EPA Images pic)

6. Aussies should stick to cricket!

Australia is a great sporting nation of winners, especially at cricket. But not in football. And when it comes to the World Cup, they are a nation of losers. They have yet to win a knockout game in the tournament.

In 2006, their Golden Generation lost agonisingly to Italy after an outrageous late penalty. In 2022, Argentina beat them, and this time they bowed out to Egypt.

Desperately unlucky in 2006, they were hoist by their own petard in Miami today. Where in other sports, they are famous for their positivity, here they were negative – playing for penalties well before the end.

They even had experienced former Brighton keeper Matt Ryan, a so-called penalty expert, even though he was replaced as the starting goalkeeper for all the group matches.

7 … and stay on the Beach

The plan backfired… big-time. Australia should have stuck with its keeper, Patrick Beach, who had been the star of the side throughout the group matches. Here, the 22-year-old made a brilliant save from Ramy Rabia to keep Australia in it.

If they got through, some thought they might even rename Bondi Beach after him. But Aussie coach Tony Popovic, taking his cue from Louis van Gaal, replaced the Melbourne City stopper with 34-year-old, 105-cap Matt Ryan for the shootout. It was in 2014 when Netherlands coach Van Gaal famously brought on Tim Krul, whose two saves secured a 4-3 win over Costa Rica and a place in the semi-finals.

But Ryan, who plays for Levante in La Liga, couldn’t get near any of the Egyptian penalties. Maybe because Egypt outsmarted Popovich. A sleuth in their camp had compiled a video of Ryan’s saves – against the likes of Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe.

Watching before the kicks started, they saw he was quick to dive. So they all stuttered in their run-ups, with the diving Ryan getting nowhere near any of their shots, including Mo Salah’s ‘Panenka’. The Aussies should have stuck with the Beach.

Colombia’s Jhon Arias (left) celebrating after scoring the only goal of the game against Ghana in the final Round of 32 matches. (EPA Images pic)

8. Colombia’s class overcomes Queiroz’s caution

An early goal by Colombia was exactly what neutrals wanted. Knowing how Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz sets up his teams, the hope was that it would force the Gold Stars onto the offensive – and make for a more entertaining game.

Well, Jhon Arias duly delivered in the 14th minute, but after 70 minutes, Ghana had still not had a shot on goal. Queiroz must have thought that Antoine Semenyo might rattle the Colombian defence, but despite the Manchester City striker’s best efforts, keeper Camilo Vargas never had to make a save.

No one ran harder for the South Americans than ex-Liverpool star Luis Diaz, who, for the second time in the tournament, found the net but had it disallowed. The harsh truth is that Ghana were just not good enough and, under the ex-Manchester United assistant boss, are not given the freedom to do much attacking, even when they need to.