The fairytale in Houston was put to the test as the debutants put in a 0-0 with Saudi Arabia to put a first-ever spot in the Round of 32 in the bag. That means a date with Lionel Messi’s side on June 3 in Miami Gardens. It was the kind of result you expect from a campaign built on resilience.
Why this matters for the World Cup
You don’t need to be a country of any particular size or means to get over the line, and for Cabo Verde this is something of a turning point. They are now the smallest nation to have ever made it out of the groups, which is a statement for all of African football and makes for one of the better underdog tales of the tournament.
Some of the numbers that put this run in perspective:
– First time they’ve been in the World Cup knockouts
– Only side since Chile in ’98 to have three draws in the group
– The smallest to advance past the group phase
– Unbeaten in the group as a first-timer for the first time in 20 years
How they went about it
The Blue Sharks put on a few different shows in their three games. You had the 0-0 with Spain where you saw some real defensive backbone. Then a 2-2 with Uruguay where they showed they could come back and be a threat. And in the end, a tense but controlled 0-0 to see them home.
In the end, it came down to what happened in Mexico. Spain got the 1-0 they needed over Uruguay at the Guadalajara Stadium to top the table on seven points. Cabo Verde were on three. Uruguay and the Saudis were left with two and sent packing.
Scenes from Houston
Once the score was in, you could feel the emotion. The Cabo Verde lads were huddled by the touchline with a phone in hand to make sure of the Spain result, and when they did, the place let go. You had tears in the crowd and the team out on the field having a moment with the fans who made the trip.
Saudi Arabia were there, but not really
It wasn’t a high-scoring affair, but Cabo Verde had the better of it. Jamiro Monteiro was away at it, forcing a few saves and fouls. Kevin Pina put one just wide. Laros Duarte had the best of it, going in on Alowais and coming up short.
They pushed again late on. Nuno da Costa was let through and later Garry Rodrigues put in a cross for him to put an effort over. The Saudis, with only one goal to show for their three matches, never quite found a rhythm and were done with it.
Vozinha and the road ahead
Vozinha has been a rock, especially after the seven he put in versus Spain. He’s the third keeper after Shilton and Zoff to have more than one clean sheet in a World Cup once you’re over 40. When the whistle went, he was in the stands with his mother, and you could see the pride in him.
Bubista’s men are in for a big one in the Round of 32. On June 3 in Miami Gardens they’ll face off with one of the favourites. But then again, the one thing you can say about Cabo Verde is they don’t give in.
This puts a new spin on things. It’s proof that if you have the right system, you can close the gap with the big names. They did that over three games, took the heat, scored when they had to and made sure they were still in it when another result gave them the edge.
What was about not being eliminated is now about what might be. Spain’s win in Mexico made room; Cabo Verde's no-nonsense approach put them in it. Now they have the momentum and a chance to be the ones to do the damage on the biggest stage of them all.
