Argentina v Cape Verde
Play By Play
After well over two hours of end-to-end, scarcely believable football, the full-time whistle sounds, with Argentina finally coming out on top with a 3–2 victory over Cape Verde!! The Albiceleste haven't been pushed that close since their last World Cup knockout stage match – the 2022 decider against France – and it was the tournament first-timers who did so, with Messi's magnificent opener and Lisandro Martinez's near-post piledriver both cancelled out. Deroy Duarte's first equaliser was impressive enough, but the goal for 2–2 by Sidny Cabral will take some beating, and may stand forever more as the greatest goal in the history of Cape Verdean football. They more than matched the holders despite producing just 0.45 xG to Argentina's 2.16 at the other end, but Cabral's strike in particular was a goal good enough to win any match, let alone take it to penalties. It wasn't to be for the Blue Sharks though, as Romero popped up in the second half of extra time to steer Messi's header goalwards from close range. A touch off Borges helped the ball past Vozinha and into the far corner, meaning it's an own-goal that ends Cape Verde's World Cup journey. Last-gasp chances for Semedo, Cabral and Benchimol all came and went in vain, but the tournament's greatest underdogs head home, with Argentina advancing to face their CAF rivals Egypt in the last 16. Tougher tests may well await for Messi's side, but Argentina will surely take stock from having been given an almighty scare, in a match which almost ended up being the biggest World Cup shock of all time.
FULL-TIME AFTER EXTRA TIME: ARGENTINA 3–2 CAPE VERDE.
CHANCES!!! Cape Verde's latest corner falls for Monteiro in the box, but a timely block on his shot suddenly sets Argentina free on the counter-attack. Gonzalez breaks free and squares for Alvarez in the middle, but Vozinha races out of his box to nonchalantly cut the pass out!
We're set for three more minutes on the end of this pulsating second half, giving Cape Verde only a matter of seconds to salvage their World Cup journey!
CHANCE!! Argentina again fail to clear their lines from Cape Verde's latest corner, and Jair Semedo hooks the loose ball back into the six-yard box. It falls for Livramento from right in front, but he can only blaze over the top as the offside flag is raised!
SAVED!!! Emi Martinez bails Argentina out yet again!! Moreira's right-sided cross is headed on for Benchimol, but Martinez bravely dives at the striker's feet and gets a touch on the ball to steer it behind!
Cape Verde's corner is delayed by Tagliafico needing treatment (and a new shirt) following a cut to his head, but Moreira's eventual delivery from the right is dealt with by Paredes.
SAVED!!! Sidny Cabral can't quite make it 3–3!! Cape Verde's second equalising goalscorer steps up to strike his team's free-kick from the left edge of the box, and fires a fizzing strike over the top of the wall, which is set for the far corner until Emi Martinez tips it behind!
Cape Verde pour numbers forward, looking for one last chance at finding a gap in Argentina's armour, but Varela's run towards the box is ended by Montiel bundling him to ground, for which the right-back gets a yellow card.
Arguably the star player of Cape Verde's efforts at this World Cup, Vozinha has made eight saves in this match, saving his highest total of the tournament for what could well be – and is as things stand – his last appearance in it.
GOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!! Argentina land what might be the knockout blow!!! It'll go down as an own-goal for Borges, but take nothing away from either the cross or the initial header. Winning a corner from the left-hand side, Messi's cross is met by a glancing header from Romero, with the ball taking a deflection off the arm of Borges to take it beyond Vozinha! The ball finds the far corner to break Cape Verdean hearts, but at only 3–2 down, is there still time to stage yet another comeback?
Argentina have been taken to extra time for the 12th time at a World Cup, equalling Germany's record for the most in the competition's history.
WIDE!!! Cape Verde counter at speed from a cleared Argentina free-kick, flooding forward in numbers but not quickly enough for the defence to be caught out. The ball is pulled back to Yannick Semedo, who sends a low, 30-yard strike wide of the mark!
We begin once again for potentially the final time as Messi re-starts proceedings for Argentina. If neither side kicks off again from here on in, that will mean the dreaded lottery of a penalty shoot-out – something absolutely unthinkable for the Albiceleste coming into this game.
HALF-TIME IN EXTRA TIME: ARGENTINA 2–2 CAPE VERDE.
SAVED!!! Messi is denied once again!! Gonzalez turns into space in the box and pulls the ball back for Messi lying in wait, but the captain's first-time finish is parried by Vozinha, and the goalscorer Cabral then blocks Montiel's follow-up!
There'll be three added minutes to close out the first half of extra time, with Argentina absolutely shell-shocked after that thunderbolt from Sidny Cabral.
Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning penalty in the 2022 World Cup final, and Argentina might well need that kind of impact from here on in as he replaces Molina at right-back.
Sidny Cabral still had plenty to do from Jair Semedo's wide pass, but he beat Mac Allister on the inside before unleashing what could well end up being the goal of the tournament!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!! The Blue Sharks bite back once more with an absolute thunderbolt!!! A sweeping passing move from back to front sees Vozinha begin a sequence which looks to have come to nothing, with the ball going left, into the centre and wide again. There's seemingly no way through, until Sidny Cabral cuts inside from the left, opens up his body, and curls the shot of his life right into the top corner, leaving Emi Martinez with absolutely no chance!!! Do not scratch your eyes – it is 2–2 between Cape Verde and the World champions, as this barely believable game takes yet another twist!
Pina is also replaced in Cape Verde's midfield, but it's striker Gilson Benchimol who comes on with the Blue Sharks chasing yet another equaliser.
Another pair of changes coming up for Cape Verde, who withdraw their goalscorer Deroy Duarte for Jair Semedo.
BLOCKED!! The Messi-Alvarez combination clicks into gear as the pair link up with successive one-two's in the box, only to both see their goalbound efforts blocked by desperate Cape Verdean defence!
BLOCKED!! Cape Verde's latest corner is played short as Varela tees up Moreira on the edge of the box, but the winger's 25-yard shot is hit straight into a wall of blue and white!
WIDE!!! Sidny Cabral wins and then takes a Cape Verde corner from the left, with Pico Lopes' near-post flick falling for Borges, and the centre-back's diving header deflecting behind for another set-piece!
