MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Cape Verde’s world cup After the team was eliminated from the tournament, they entered a hotel in Miami, almost in disbelief at the sight in the lobby.
Dozens of people were there, cheering them on.
The same goes for after you lose.
Let’s say this is the first sign that things are going to be very different in many ways for the team, at least for the foreseeable future. Such was the case when the club, without warning and virtually unprecedented, pushed Lionel Messi and Argentina to the brink of elimination on soccer’s biggest stage. lost the match 3-2 It went into overtime.
“It’s time to rest and think about the future,” Cape Verde goalkeeper Vosinha said. “But I’m very proud of the team’s work and I hope we can achieve great things in the future.”
In other words, he wants the seeds to be planted.
Cape Verde had 0 wins, 1 loss, and 3 losses in their four games in the first World Cup, which on paper might not be a good result. More than two-thirds of the tournament’s 48 teams won at least one game. Cape Verde was not included.
However, this record does not tell the whole story.
They opened the group stage with a goalless draw against Spain, and the possibility of advancing to the finals tournament became very real. There were two more draws in group play. A 2-2 draw against Uruguay put Cape Verde on the brink of qualification, followed by a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia, which was good enough to secure a place in the last 32.
To their credit, Argentina’s players and coaches insisted they did not expect to easily get past Cape Verde. And at the end of the match, Messi, generally considered the greatest player of all time, had nothing but praise for his inferior opponent.
After Friday’s game, Messi said: “Some people thought the game would go easy, but that couldn’t be further from reality.” “They pressed really well. There are no perks in knockout football. They had already done well against Spain and Uruguay, so we knew it was going to be difficult.”
For Argentina, victory was certainly difficult to come by.
Even for Cape Verde, it was difficult to understand that the journey would end here.
But when they walked through that hotel lobby, it was like a conquering hero had returned. Team coach Buvista raised his fist in celebration. Many players couldn’t stop smiling. Vozinya shook hands and took a few photos.
they were celebrities. Almost a rock star. The score didn’t matter. The sum total of three weeks was significant as it put Cape Verde on the football map.
“I can only thank the team for their efforts and for giving their heart on the pitch,” Bubista said. “And I think everyone should be grateful for what they’ve done for this tournament.”
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
