Forget the easy narrative. This was not a coronation for the defending champions. Argentina barely escaped Hard Rock Stadium with a 3-2 win over World Cup debutants Cape Verde Islands on Saturday, needing 120 minutes and two goals from center-backs to get there.
Lisandro Martinez was the best player on the field. That’s not something you say about a Manchester United defender who plays in a back four, but Martinez did everything. He pinged a 50-yard pass from the center circle that sprung Lionel Messi for the opener in the 29th minute. He scored himself early in extra time, controlling a loose ball and smashing a left-footed shot into the top corner. And he spent the entire match threading passes between Cape Verde’s defensive lines like he was wearing a quarterback’s wristband.
Cape Verde just refused to quit. Deroy Duarte equalized in the 59th minute with a finish that sent the Argentina bench into a silent panic. Then Sidny Lopes Cabral did it again in the 103rd minute with a stunning strike that should probably be on loop somewhere. Argentina’s defending champions tag looked more like a liability than a badge of honor.
Messi still found a way. He scored the opener, had a corner-kick assist to Cristian Romero for the winner in the 111th minute, and spent the rest of the night getting frustrated by Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha. Vozinha saved a one-on-one in the 63rd minute, stopped free kicks, and generally made Messi earn every inch. But Messi’s set-piece delivery remains a cheat code. The header from Romero was simple execution on a perfect ball.
Lautaro Martinez had a rough night. He got 63 minutes and almost nothing to show for it. Cape Verde’s compact shape swallowed him whole. He was isolated. Service was scarce. When Scaloni hooked him for Julian Alvarez after the equalizer, it felt like an admission that the game plan needed a reset. The contrast between Lautaro’s struggles and Messi’s constant involvement was stark.
The bigger picture here is real. Argentina escaped, but they looked vulnerable against a team making its World Cup debut. The defense bailed them out twice, and that’s not a sustainable plan against better opponents. But the defending champions are still alive, still have Messi, and still have center-backs who can score when the forwards can’t. That counts for something.
Cape Verde walks away with respect. They pushed the best team in the world to the limit and gave a sold-out stadium a thriller. No one expected this to be a 120-minute war. It was, and Argentina almost lost it.
Leave a Comment