Those waking up on Monday morning in the UK will look at one particular result and be stunned. “Cape Verde did it again?!” was probably your reaction.
You likely would have seen Uruguay vs Cape Verde as an 11pm kick-off and thought: “Work tomorrow, probably not worth it.”
But you missed the game of the tournament.
Cape Verde have already stunned world football by denying tournament favourites Spain with a goalless draw. A solid defensive display underpinned that well-earned point, but this second draw was quite different.
The group of African islands, whose population sits at around 500,000 people, took on the historic football nation of Uruguay, who have won this tournament twice, and come away unbeaten.
Cape Verde were brave against Marcelo Bielsa’s side. There was a defensive block at times, but there was so much more to them than that.
Kevin Pina scored a stunning free-kick for Cape Verde
For their first goal, Kevin Pina tried his luck via a free-kick from distance and found the bottom corner.
But before that, there was an epic solo run by midfielder Telmo Arcanjo, who started in his own half and burst past Manuel Ugarte before drawing a yellow card from Rodrigo Bentancur.
Even after the goal, it continued. They tried to catch out Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera directly from a corner. Then an attempt was made to chip the 40-year-old shot-stopper from halfway.
Garry Rodrigues – who worked as a postman while playing amateur football in the early days of his career – nutmegged ex-Manchester United and current Brazilian champion Guillermo Varela early on in the game. Jamiro Monteiro was flicking balls over Uruguayan midfielders deep in his own territory while playing out from the back.
Cape Verde’s Garry Rodrigues tyurned Guillermo Varela inside out within minutes
Then there was the composure by Cape Verde substitute Helio Varela for the second goal – just three minutes fresh onto the pitch – to chip the ball above Muslera, participating in his fifth World Cup, and finish from distance into an empty net.
This universal confidence just spilled through the team – and bamboozled Uruguay.
Cape Verde’s Helio Varela dribbles past Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera
Yes, Bielsa’s side found themselves back in front but that’s basically because Cape Verde ended the half with 10 players. Arcanjo was struggling with a hamstring injury and refused to come off until the break, keeping his dream of playing at the tournament alive.
As a result, he was too slow to react to the two crosses that led to the two Uruguay goals, which were their only tests for 40-year-old cult hero Vozinha in the entire match.
Of course, just like it did against Spain, hard work underpinned this Cape Verde draw. There were so many parallels between the two performances from the African nation.
Identical to game one, Sidny Lopes Cabral picked up an early booking but still excelled by winning ten out of his 15 duels in the game in game two.
Centre-backs Pico Lopes, born in Dublin, and Diney Borges made 28 clearances between them, adding to the 19 they managed as a pair against Spain.
It quite simply put Bielsa’s Uruguay to shame. The defending from the South American side was shambolic. The two-man wall for Pina’s free-kick parted to allow the ball to fly through both players. Then the square hospital pass from centre-back Mathias Olivera, under no pressure, got Cape Verde the route back into the game.
Helio Varela (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal
Cape Verde are a team that you can constantly root for/ It applies for the rest of the tournament too. Against Saudi Arabia – a game they are arguable favourites for – they need to better Uruguay’s final day result against Spain to qualify – and they have the much better game.
And if they finish second, which is more than possible, then they will likely face Argentina in the round of 32.
Whoever lifts the trophy will have the final say in this World Cup tournament. But right now, Cape Verde are who everyone should be talking about.
They have become everyone’s second team – and are the story of this World Cup.
