Vozinha shares Messi’s touching words after Cape Verde pushed Argentina to the limit
Cape Verde’s fairytale World Cup run ended today, but not before the debutants gave the defending champions the fright of their lives. Argentina needed 120 minutes to escape with a 3 to 2 win in the Round of 32 at Miami Stadium, and when the final whistle blew, Lionel Messi went looking for the man who nearly ruined his night. What he told 40 year old goalkeeper Vozinha turned a painful exit into an unforgettable moment.
The moment between Messi and Vozinha
Vozinha was outstanding throughout the encounter, producing a string of saves that kept the Blue Sharks in contention until the very end. Speaking after the game via Hindustan Times, the keeper revealed that he approached Messi at full time and received a hug along with words he will never forget. According to Vozinha, the Argentina captain told him he is a great goalkeeper and that the people of Cape Verde should be proud of him.
The veteran said hearing that from someone like Messi meant everything, and he responded by calling the Argentine the best before asking to swap shirts. Messi agreed, promising to hand his jersey over in the tunnel after the interviews.
Messi admits Cape Verde made Argentina suffer
The respect flowed both ways. Messi praised the tournament newcomers after the match, admitting the world champions were pushed far harder than expected. He said it was no coincidence that Cape Verde had held both Spain and Uruguay to draws in the group stage, and that Argentina knew beforehand the match would be extremely tough.
The eight time Ballon d’Or winner explained that scoring first was supposed to let Argentina impose their style and play with calm, but the opposite happened. He conceded his side lost control at moments, dropped back defensively and failed to apply pressure, which allowed Cape Verde to take advantage and score. In knockout rounds, he noted, nothing comes free.
Messi opened the scoring with his seventh goal of the tournament, lifting his overall World Cup tally to 20, and nearly added another before Vozinha’s heroics intervened.
A debut that won the world’s admiration
Making their first ever World Cup appearance, Cape Verde leave as one of the competition’s biggest success stories. The Blue Sharks announced themselves by holding Spain to a goalless draw, earned a 1 to 1 stalemate against Uruguay, and then took the champions to the brink. Their fearless run against three of the world’s strongest footballing nations has significantly enhanced their reputation on the global stage.
Argentina march on unbeaten through four matches, having conceded just three goals. They face Egypt in the Round of 16 on July 7 at Atlanta Stadium.
SOURCE: Daily Post