Argentina survives Cape Verde thriller to reach World Cup quarter-finals

Messi opens the scoring early

Argentina, the defending champion, started strongly in front of a roaring pro-Argentina crowd of nearly 50,000 at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium. Lionel Messi tested Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha with an early shot (15') and a free kick (18'), but found the net in the 29th minute. A long ball over the defence by Lisandro Martinez found Messi, who controlled it beautifully and finished to make it 1-0. It was Messi's seventh goal of the tournament and his 20th career World Cup goal.

Cape Verde fight back

After the break, Argentina grew complacent and ceded control. Cape Verde, undefeated in the group stage after draws with Spain and Uruguay, began moving the ball deeper into Argentinian territory. Their first dangerous chance came from a Deroy Duarte long-range shot in the 53rd minute. Six minutes later, Duarte punished the passive champions by equalising, sending the massed Argentinian supporters into silence. Coach Lionel Scaloni responded immediately, bringing on Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Gonzalez to reignite the attack.

Vozinha vs Messi becomes a private duel

What followed was an absorbing personal battle between the 39-year-old Messi and the 40-year-old Cape Verde keeper Vozinha. In the 63rd minute, Messi found himself unmarked in front of goal but was denied. Vozinha also saved a Messi free kick in the 73rd minute and another deep into stoppage time (90+5). Pico Lopes almost turned the ball into his own net for Cape Verde (81'), but the match remained level at 1-1 after 90 minutes.

Extra-time rollercoaster

Argentina retook the lead almost immediately in extra time. A Messi corner was headed on by Alexis Mac Allister, and Lisandro Martinez hammered the ball under the crossbar in the 92nd (or 93rd) minute. Yet Cape Verde refused to fold. In the 103rd minute, Sidny Lopes Cabral, the former Rot-Weiss Erfurt and Viktoria Köln player now at Benfica, curled a stunning shot into the top right corner to equalise again, celebrating with a sprint to the stands.

Own goal decides it

With the penalty shootout looming, Argentina piled on pressure. A Messi corner in the 111th minute was turned into his own net by Cape Verde defender Diney Borges, finally putting the holders ahead for good. The 3-2 win sent Argentina through to a quarter-final against Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday, while Cape Verde, the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup knockout round, departed after their first tournament loss.