The reigning champs were pushed to their absolute limit by the Cinderella team of the tournament


Getty Images

Avoiding what would have been the greatest, most shocking upset in World Cup history, Argentina earned a hectic, uninspiring 3-2 win over Cabo Verde in extra time in the round of 32 in Miami on Friday.

The World Cup champs put forth a lackluster, complacent performance where they seemed content with their 1-0 lead off a goal from Lionel Messi in the first half, only to see the Cinderellas of the World Cup equalize just before the mark on a narrow effort from Deroy Duarte.

Both teams would score in the first part of extra time, Argentina getting a strike from center back Lisandro Martinez in the 93rd minute, only to see Sidny Cabral score the equalizer 11 minutes later in what will surely end up being the goal of the World Cup, putting an incredible curling effort past Dibu Martinez from the corner of the box.

In extra time, Cristian Romero headed a corner kick which glanced off a Cabo Verde and into the back of the net to give Argentina the narrow win, setting up a date with Egypt on Tuesday in Atlanta.

What does this result mean?
Argentina survived. That's the result. But the headline? The real story from Hard Rock Stadium on Friday night is what Cabo Verde nearly did to them.

The Blue Sharks, from a nation of roughly 500,000 people and playing in their first-ever World Cup, took the defending champions to extra time and had Argentines all over the world sweating. Romero's headed effort off a corner kick sealed the win for Argentina after Sidny Lopes Cabral's stunning equalizer had leveled the match at 2-2 in extra time. By the time it ended, Argentine players were dropping to the turf with cramps in the Miami humidity, 120 minutes into an exhausting night that will serve as a lesson learned -- nobody can be underestimated, a lesson many figured they would have learned from four years ago after a shocking loss to Saudi Arabia to start the 2022 tournament, a tournament which they want on to win.

This is what the expanded, 48-team World Cup format was supposed to produce, and now we're watching it happen in real time. Skeptics, including myself, worried a bigger field would water down the tournament with lopsided blowouts. You can make the argument the group stage is watered down, and I'm not a fan of third-place teams ever making it through. But, it's handed small federations a stage and will continue to do so for editions to come.

It's also important to remember that Cabo Verde didn't back into this moment. The Blue Sharks reached the knockout stage by going unbeaten in the group phase. Drawing Spain? Incredible. Getting through the group? Shocking.

Taking Argentina to the break? One of the great stories of this, or any, World Cup.

They will serve as inspiration for any newcomers to the tournament for years to come and provide hope to all those dreaming of qualifying. They deserved to be on this stage, and they deserved to share the pitch with the reigning World Cup winners.

Argentina move on to face Egypt in the round of 16. Cabo Verde go home. But if this tournament's history remembers one thing about the Blue Sharks, it won't be the scoreline. It'll be that for 120 minutes in Miami, where a nation the size of Rhode Island showed more than anyone could have ever imagined.

Source