Argentina scrape past Cape Verde after extra time fright

Argentina survive Cape Verde scare in extra time

That was too close. Argentina 3–2 Cape Verde after extra time in the round of 32 on Friday, and for long stretches your team looked like they were going out (1) (2) (4). Cape Verde led twice. Messi scored his 20th World Cup goal, the second of his career from outside the box at a World Cup, but the real drama came late. Lisandro Martinez equalised in the 88th minute to force extra time, then Diney Borges scored an own goal that sent Argentina through (4) (5). Scaloni did not sugarcoat it: "The match was very tough, you always have to take the positive, and that is that this team never gives up" (2).

Defensive alarms ringing

The Argentine press is not celebrating. Olé ran a piece headlined about the alarms going off beyond the result, and Messi himself was blunt: "There were many negatives" (6) (7). Cape Verde scored twice from set pieces. Deroy Duarte got the first, Sidny Cabral the second. Your backline looked shaky every time the ball came into the box (6). Against better opposition in the round of 16, that will get punished.

Messi bruised but still standing

Messi finished the match with a heavily bruised foot, kicked repeatedly by Cape Verde defenders all night (7) (8). He stayed on, scored, and Argentina are still alive. That is 20 World Cup goals now. Only Miroslav Klose has more. The knock is being monitored ahead of the round of 16 (7).

Lisandro Martinez, the unlikely hero

Less than a year and a half after an ACL tear that sidelined him for 292 days, Lisandro Martinez scored the goal that saved Argentina's World Cup (4) (5). His 88th-minute header made it 2–2 when elimination was staring everyone in the face. Not the name you expected on the scoresheet, but the one your team needed.

What comes next

Argentina now face the winner of Australia vs Egypt in the round of 16 (5). Germany are already out, beaten by Paraguay on penalties, so the path has opened further. But Friday made one thing clear: nobody is a pushover at this stage.

Fan reactions

The mood is relief more than anything. Lisandro Martinez's post-match interview hit hard, he said thinking about his ACL recovery makes him want to cry, and that scoring a World Cup goal after everything felt surreal. Argentine fans in Guadalajara stayed to applaud the Cape Verde players off the pitch, and the image of Nuno da Costa being consoled by his family after the match has been everywhere. See the full thread.