Argentina survived a major scare before ending Cape Verde's fairytale World Cup run, winning 3-2 after extra-time in Miami. Lionel Messi scored his 20th World Cup goal, his seventh in four games at the tournament, to put the defending champions ahead, but the Blue Sharks fought back twice to force extra time.
Messi's Magic Opens the Scoring
Messi produced a moment of brilliance with a feather-like touch from Lisandro Martinez's pass, finishing high past Vozinha to open the scoring. The goal extended Messi's record of scoring in eight consecutive World Cup matches and gave him a two-goal cushion over France's Kylian Mbappe in the race for the all-time top scorer title. The nearly 65,000 crowd, awash in sky blue and white, greeted every Messi move like a god in the city where he now plays for Inter Miami.
Cape Verde's Resilient Fightback
Cape Verde, appearing in their first World Cup, had already shown their mettle by holding European champions Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia to draws in Group H. Coach Bubista called the match "the game of our lives," and his team delivered a spirited performance. Deroy Duarte struck on the hour mark to equalize, forcing Argentina to expend more energy in the sapping Miami heat. Emi Martinez, largely a spectator in the first half, was powerless to stop Duarte's low shot into the far corner after being picked out by Ryan Mendes.
Extra-Time Drama and Own Goal Decides
Lisandro Martinez briefly restored Argentina's lead early in extra time with a rising drive from a corner. But Cape Verde refused to bow, and Sidny Lopes Cabral smashed a stunning shot into the top corner, running into the stands to celebrate with his partner. Another Argentina corner finally got the job done when Cristian Romero rose highest to head Messi's corner, with the ball going in after taking a deflection off Diney Borges for an own goal. Scaloni could only wipe his furrowed brow with relief.
Argentina Survive Late Onslaught
An exhausted Argentina still had to ride their luck from a Cape Verde onslaught in the final seconds. Emi Martinez won a crucial battle with Lopes Cabral, tipping over another sweet strike headed for the top corner. Argentina will face Egypt next on Tuesday in Atlanta, but there were concerns for Lionel Scaloni on his 100th match in charge despite a seemingly favorable draw. Cape Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who became an internet sensation after a man-of-the-match display against Spain, nearly added to his 18 million Instagram followers with a one-on-one save against Messi. Irish-born Pico Lopes also made a crucial intervention to deny Enzo Fernandez a tap-in after more Messi inspiration.
