Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde: Albiceleste just about avoid biggest World Cup upset of all time | OneFootball

Ollie Whitmore, Chief football news reporter

Cristian Romero spared Argentina from the biggest World Cup upset of all time by forcing an own goal to beat Cape Verde 3-2 and reach the round of 16 in an all-time classic at the Miami Stadium.

Messi extended his record scoring run to eight matches at the tournament with a real centre forward’s goal, only for Deroy Duarte to stun the holders by firing the equalizer past Emi Martínez after an ingenious pass from Blue Sharks captain Ryan Mendes.

Lisandro Martínez lashed home from a corner after the debutants forced extra time, seemingly ending their fairytale World Cup run, only for full-back Sidney Cabral’s ridiculous effort curling into the top right corner to level the game for a second time.

Romero rose highest to head Messi’s corner against defender Diney Borges and into the net in the 115th minute of the game, setting up a round of 16 clash with Egypt.

It comes at the expense of the island nation, with no more than 620,000 inhabits, that produced the story of the tournament and one of the most memorable in World Cup history.

As it happened

Cape Verde were quite happy to let Argentina dominate the opening quarter of an hour, keeping all of their players behind the ball in a compact defensive shape, as Lionel Messi got his first sight of goal rolling a low shot not far wide.

The 39-year-old then won a free kick in a central position when Jovane Cabral slid in and was judged to have fouled him, but the effort aiming for the bottom left corner was no trouble for a now out-of-contract Vozinha.

Having scored in a record-breaking seventh World Cup game in a row, Messi soon extended his mesmeric run to eight with a well-timed run off the shoulder of the last defender and a beautiful touch to control Lisandro Martinez’s lofted pass.

The ‘Little Magician’ then had the composure to place a powerful left-footed shot into the roof of the net on just his second touch, for his seventh goal at the tournament and a deserved lead 30 minutes into an expectedly one-sided clash.

It was yet another record-breaking moment for Messi, who became the oldest goalscorer in a World Cup knockout game at 39 years and nine days.

Cape Verde – who hadn’t put a foot wrong in the first half – maintained their calm on the ball, to their credit, and built a promising move towards the right wing, but the cross had far too much on it to trouble the Argentina defence.

Duarte forced Emi Martínez into his first save of the night, striking low and straight into his arms from the edge of the penalty area, but in true Cape Verde fashion wouldn’t back down.

Mendes received the ball out wide and – with the same fearlessness his team has shown on debut – placed a deft pass into Duarte through Facundo Medina’s legs for his teammate to take a touch and fire it past Martínez and stun the holders.

Messi would’ve hauled his country back in front had Vozinha not produced more heroics in goal to deny Messi on his weaker foot in a one-on-one not long after that incredible moment.

Argentina’s captain was then taken down even closer to goal with just over a quarter of an hour left in the tie, and with Vozinha still organizing his wall cleverly took the set piece aiming for the bottom right.

The 40-year-old goalkeeper continued to defy his age by getting across in a flash to parry Messi’s effort and keep his side on the verge of causing the biggest shock of all time.

Cape Verde defended their goal fiercely and almost saw centre-back Pico Lopes – who was recruited for the tournament via the social network service LinkedIn – steer a low cross from the right into his own net, instead going inches wide of Vozinha’s goal.

Lopes then had a second scare when he headed Messi’s cross back out via his arm, but a brief VAR check noted the deflection and ordered play to continue into eight minutes of second-half stoppage time.

They had survived half of it before Messi was fouled right on the edge of the box for a second time, spelling trouble for Bautista’s team. Once again, Vozinha was there to save both his free kick and the header on the follow up and take it to extra time.

Manchester United centre-back Lisandro Martínez went from provider to scorer with a goal much like Messi’s in the first half, powering his shot as high under the crossbar as it could go to spare Argentine blushes in the third minute of extra time.

But Cape Verde weren’t done there and stunned the footballing world again as Cabral picked up the ball right on the left corner of the penalty area and whipped an audacious strike towards the top right corner.

The Trabzonspor’s shot sailed past Martínez, who had absolutely no chance of stopping it, with superlatives that would do both the strike and Cape Verde any sense of justice running dry.

Messi would come to his country’s aid yet again, aiming his corner into Romero for the Tottenham defender to force the own goal from Borges and put Argentina nine minutes away from avoiding a colossal shock in Miami.

Cape Verde would have one final chance from a free kick to the left of goal, from which Cabral forced Martínez into a wonderful save to tip the ball over the bar and keep his team just in front as the 120 minutes neared the end.

The World Cup holders were tested to their very limits, but managed to edge past Cape Verde in one of the greatest World Cup knockout games of all time while their opponents bow out of the tournament having made history against all the odds.

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Argentina – Cabo Verde Live Score