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Argentina avoided the biggest upset in World Cup history after a Danny Borges own goal in extra time beat Cape Verde 3-2 to reach the last 16 of the tournament.
The lowest-ranked nation stacked the odds against them to qualify for the knockouts but pushed the reigning champions to their limits and were on the brink of elimination in a spectacular World Cup game.
It looked business as usual after Lionel Messi’s superb opener but the first blow came when Deroy Duarte curled his effort into the far corner just before the hour mark to draw his side level.
A sloppy and industrious display from Argentina followed to see out regular time when Lisandro Martinez whipped his effort into the top right corner in the second minute of extra time, before they thought their blushes had been averted.
Sidney López Cabral then shocked the entire Miami Stadium – and the soccer world – when he scored arguably the goal of the tournament in the 103rd minute to draw Cape Verde in dramatic fashion.
As time ticked on, excitement began to mount for Argentina – along with belief for Cape Verde that they could pull off the impossible – until Christian Romero’s header from a corner deflected off Borges to rescue victory for Lionel Scaloni.
They now face Egypt in the last 16 of the tournament, but despite the defeat, the story remains in Cape Verde.
A country with a population of just 600,000, a fifth of Buenos Aires, left the tournament with an incredible head down.
They arrived as relatively unknown entities for their first appearance on the biggest stage of them all, but they left with unforgettable memories and performances against Spain, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and Argentina that will forever be etched in history.
Key moments from Miami…
29: Goal! Messi opened the scoring with a great touch and finish to settle Argentina’s nerves
59: Shock Equalizer! Duarte curled his effort into the far corner to draw Cape Verde level
73: Awesome save! Vozinha made one of eight saves to keep out Messi’s free-kick
90+5: Another save! Messi’s free-kick deflected into the path of Vozinha, who again denied him
92: Goal! L. Martinez whips into the right-hand corner to restore Argentina’s lead
103: Speechless! Contestants of the tournament S. Cabral curled a goal to draw Cape Verde level again
111: Goal! Romero’s header deflected off Diney to break Cape Verde hearts
A picture of a great game of the World Cup!
Lionel Messi scored the opening goal for Argentina against Cape Verde in the World Cup
Deroy Duarte of Cape Verde celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal against Argentina
Argentina’s Lisandro Martinez celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal of the World Cup match against Cape Verde in Miami
Lionel Messi of Argentina reacts Cape Verde players celebrate their second goal scored by Sidney Lopes Cabral of Cape Verde
Cape Verde’s Danny Borges own-goal that won the match for Argentina
Analysis: Cape Verde clinch title despite Argentina win
Sky Sports’ Patrick Rowe:
A truly remarkable performance from Cape Verde. They will undoubtedly be the story of the tournament even if they bow out of the World Cup.
Relentless defensively to keep Argentina at bay – another valiant display in goal by Vojinha with eight saves on the evening – and fearless going forward.
Sidney Lopes Cabral’s effort alone was enough to win the goal of the tournament over Mane but given the circumstances and the opponent, it will go down as one of the great strikes on the stage and will be remembered for years to come.
Teams will be hailed as heroes and inspire the next generation.
If a case needs to be made about the sprawling format this summer and whether it was successful, look no further than the Cape Verde saga in the US, Canada and Mexico.
