06/22/26 04:19:00
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06/22 15:44 CDT A win over Saudi Arabia would send Cape Verde to the round of
32 at the World Cup
A win over Saudi Arabia would send Cape Verde to the round of 32 at the World
Cup
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) --- Here's something that very few could have
reasonably expected coming into this World Cup: Cape Verde controls its own
destiny with one match left in group play.
That's right. With a win on Friday against Saudi Arabia, the tiny nation of
about 500,000 people and about 15 million new Instagram followers will be
headed to the round of 32. Even a draw might be --- should be --- enough to
earn a spot in the knockout round.
The Blue Sharks were long shots entering the World Cup; some books had them at
no better than 12% to advance from the group stage. They're currently favored
to move on.
"It's in our hands," defender Roberto Lopes said. "We have to go and take it."
A pair of draws --- first against Spain to begin group play, then rallying for
a 2-2 result against Uruguay on Sunday --- has Cape Verde still searching for
its first win in its initial World Cup appearance. Still, the team is in an
ideal position.
Spain leads Group H with four points. Uruguay and Cape Verde are next with two
points each, while Saudi Arabia is last with one point. The top two teams from
each group advance to the round of 32 along with the top eight third-place
teams in the 12 groups.
A win over Saudi Arabia by Cape Verde would give it five points; it would then
be mathematically certain to be no worse than second in the group. A draw would
give the team three points; that, combined with a Spain win over Uruguay, would
also assure a second-place finish in group play.
"One game at a time," Cape Verde backup goalkeeper CJ dos Santos said. "This is
just another challenge for us."
There is a real chance that if Cape Verde beats Saudi Arabia, its reward would
be a round of 32 game against Lionel Messi and defending World Cup champion
Argentina.
And the interest in that game would be overwhelming, if it happened. On one
side, there would be Messi, the biggest draw in the sport and possibly the
biggest draw right now in any sport. On the other, there would be a team that
the world seems to have adopted --- the improbable story, replete with a
40-year-old goalkeeper whose mother needed help just to obtain a visa and fly
to the U.S. to watch her son play on soccer's grandest stage.
More than half of the team was born somewhere other than Cape Verde; Kevin
Pina, who scored against Uruguay, spent part of his youth living in
Massachusetts, which has the largest concentration of the Cape Verdean diaspora
in the U.S.
That stems from how in the 1800s, Cape Verdeans found work on American whaling
vessels in the Atlantic and eventually settled in port cities in states like
Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
"We come from a country of immigrants," Cape Verde coach Bubista said. "We want
every child and every young person to feel proud to represent their country. We
want our success to make them want to represent Cape Verde."
At Luanda Restaurant in Brockton, Massachusetts, Cape Verde's first World Cup
match became an afternoon of nervous cheering as customers gathered around
televisions; some fans even brought laptops so they could work remotely from
the restaurant without missing the game against Spain.
Every save by 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha --- whose stardom has risen
immeasurably during this tournament --- drew louder reactions inside the
restaurant. Owner Amlia Goncalves said she tried to work while screaming,
laughing and nearly crying, noting that Vozinha's story resonates with the Cape
Verdean community.
"If you work hard, it's possible," Goncalves said.
The team has worked hard. The round of 32 is very possible now. A tiny country
with big hopes is poised for its biggest sports moment.
"Now nobody can ask, ?Where is Cape Verde?'" said 22-year-old Micaelle Nunes,
one of the soccer revelers in Brockton. "The whole world will know."
The players are aware of the celebrations. They know that, in some ways, they
have become a sentimental favorite all over the globe. Their story is easy to
appreciate and the way they play has drawn applause even from fans in opposing
jerseys.
A 12% chance is on the brink of coming through.
"We had a big journey here," Lopes said. "Now that we're here, we can't change."
___
Associated Press writer Leah Willingham in Brockton, Massachusetts, and Zach
Pascuzzi in Miami Gardens, Florida, contributed to this story. Pascuzzi is a
student at the University of Georgia's Carmical Sports Media Institute.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/FIFA-World-Cup
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