It’s been a World Cup of underdog upsets.
Cape Verde is the country leading the charge.
After holding Spain to a scoreless draw in its World Cup opener, Cape Verde followed it up with a thrilling 2-2 draw vs. Uruguay in Miami on Sunday.
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Uruguay, ranked No. 19 by FIFA, entered the game having drawn to Saudi Arabia 1-1 in its opener. La Celeste conceded first in that game and had to earn a comeback draw. That same narrative transpired again.
Cape Verde, ranked No. 63, opened the scoring in the 21st minute off a stunning long-range free kick from midfielder Kevin Pina. It marked the country’s first ever World Cup goal and lead.
Uruguay had been the ball-dominant side up until that point, a trend that predictably continued after Pina’s strike.
The pressure paid off with two goals right before halftime, as veteran goalie Vozinha conceded for the first time in his break-out moment.
Maximilian Araujo equalized for Uruguay just like he did vs. Saudi Arabia, heading in an open tap in in the 44th minute.
A few minutes later deep into first-half stoppage time, winger Agustin Canobbio slickly redirected an Araujo cross home to make it 2-1.
But Uruguay took its foot off the pedal in the second half instead of going for the kill with the third goal. That’s not a wise tactic anymore with how balanced the World Cup can be nowadays.
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Cape Verde scored in the 61st minute when forward Helio Varela capitalized on Uruguayan goalie Fernando Muslera being way out of position. It wasn’t the easiest opportunity to convert, but he nailed the gap.
It became an open-ended game from there, though Uruguay will rue its third goal being chalked off due to a close offsides.
The introduction of Darwin Nunez led to two key chances late on for La Celeste. Nunez fizzed in a low cross after a brilliant move to get open on the right flank, but star midfielder Federico Valverde could not get the slight touch it needed.
Nunez then played Canobbio through on goal in transition, but the winger wasn’t fast enough and his effort was rushed over the bar.
Following the result, Spain sits first in the group with four points and meets Uruguay next with a chance to win the pool on the line.
Cape Verde plays Saudi Arabia, which is still alive for either second or third place. A thrilling conclusion to Group H awaits — and Cape Verde, a country with a population of just a half a million, is one game away from history.
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