Argentina survived a major scare before ending Cape Verde's fairytale World Cup run, winning 3-2 after extra time in Miami to reach the last 16. Lionel Messi scored his 20th World Cup goal, a sublime finish, to put the defending champions ahead, but the Blue Sharks refused to yield.
Messi's Magic Not Enough to Break Cape Verde
Messi's seventh goal of the tournament in four games came from a trademark control and finish, seemingly putting Argentina in command. However, Cape Verde, making their first World Cup appearance, equalised through Deroy Duarte's strike on the hour mark, forcing Argentina to expend extra energy in the sapping Miami heat.
Extra Time Drama
Lisandro Martínez briefly restored Argentina's lead early in extra time, but Sidny Lopes Cabral's stunning shot rocketed into the top corner to level again. The breakthrough finally came from an Argentina corner, with Cristian Romero rising highest to head Messi's delivery, the ball deflecting off Diney Borges for an own goal.
Scaloni's 100th Match
Argentina will face Egypt next on Tuesday in Atlanta. Despite a favourable draw, there were concerns for coach Lionel Scaloni on his 100th match in charge. Cape Verde had earlier held European champions Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia to draws in Group H to reach the knockout stages.
Blue Sharks coach Bubista called the meeting "the game of our lives," and his team lived up to that billing, pushing the world champions to the limit over 120 minutes. Messi, playing in the city where he now stars for Inter Miami, was greeted like a god by the nearly 65,000 crowd, predominantly clad in sky blue and white.
