Here are the heroes of the World Cup, here is the unusual Cape Verde. The most opulent edition has enthroned “the poor man’s football” of this African team. This is how his coach, Bubista, proudly defined it, the leader of a team that has hit the ball of his life before the astonishment of the planet, which wonders where the protagonists of this feat came from. Their draw with Saudi Arabia plus the one against Uruguay left the Cape Verdeans in second position, facing Argentina and Leo Messi in the round of 32, whom they will see next Friday in Miami. Next to nothing.
0
Vozinha, João Paulo, Wagner Pina (Steven Moreira, min. 93), Pico Lopes, Diney Borges, Deroy Duarte, Jamiro Monteiro (Laros Duarte, min. 70), Kevin Pina, Willy Semedo (Hélio Varela, min. 60), Ryan Mendes (Garry Rodrigues, min. 71) and Dailon Livramento (Nuno da Costa, min. 60)
0
Mohammed Al Owais, Abdulelah Al Amri, Hassan Al Tambakti (Ali Lajami, min. 32), Saud Abdulhamid, Nawaf Bu Washl (Moteb Al Harbi, min. 81), Abdullah Al Khaibari (Musab Al Juwayr, min. 45), Sultan Mandash (Abdullah Al Hamddan, min. 65), Nasser Al Dawsari, Salem Al Dawsari (Mohammed Abu Al Shamat, min. 65), Mohamed Kanno and Feras Al Brikan
Referee François Letexier
yellow cards Saud Abdulhamid (min. 3), Wagner Pina (min. 8), Nasser Al-Dosari (min. 66), Firas Al Breikan (min. 92)
Bubista and the forty-something goalkeeper Vozinha landed in the United States at the head of a team that was presented as an exotic element of the biggest World Cup in history, converted into simple opening acts for the stars, and three weeks later they are the best story of the tournament. Benefiting from a carom in the group score, those against Spain, Uruguay and the Saudi team elevated them to the Moon.
They had never played in a World Cup and their feat is already part of the World Cup history books. The archipelago they represent barely exceeds half a million inhabitants and more than half of the team is made up of players who were born outside the islands. They resisted against the Red, they responded to the Celeste and were better than the stingy Arabia.
Opposite, the disappointing Saudi team leaves, where the rain of billions that has irrigated their League for three years has not yet reported any benefits on a very poor playing national team. They only had to win and they spent almost the entire game clinging to an incomprehensible conservatism. Glory went to Cape Verde, the best in the match and the one that sought the victory with the most determination. And Spain’s victory made a draw useful (as it happened), and could lead them to lock themselves in and trust in the favor of Luis de la Fuente’s boys. But no, they ended up in the rival area, in a big way.
The game took 40 minutes to break loose. For a long stretch, the ball went back and forth meaninglessly from one side to the other, with the goalkeepers staring. Cape Verde was enthusiastic and was still looking at the rival goal, while Saudi Arabia did not come out of the cave. Baena’s goal on the other side of the border, in Guadalajara (Mexico), wanted to wake up the Arabs, as if they had just learned that the only possible result for them was victory. They left the tunnel and the shock began to shake off the caking. At least some dangerous approaches were recorded in the areas before the break. The Cape Verdean Semedo had a shot from the edge of the area and Kanno responded with a somewhat forced header.
The second half confirmed the greatness of Cape Verde, who continued to charge, in search of a victory that would underpin them. Far from fear inflating his leaden legs, they did not stop striking. Monteiro and Pina threatened with two shots against a stingy Arabia, clinging to nothing, trusting to an accident or success falling from the sky. And it didn’t happen.
The Africans had two very clear ones to finish shooting off. Duarte went one-on-one and Al-Owais stopped him well and Pina was also close to scoring. The night had already broken because Arabia went up in desperation and almost caught the big one in a final attempt by Al-Hamddan. But no, Cape Verde is already in the happy history of the World Cups.
