Cape Verde, one of the smallest nations at the tournament, is stunning the competition one game at a time. After forcing a 0-0 draw against Spain last week, the Blue Sharks did it again on Sunday, notching a second-half equalizer for a 2-2 draw against Uruguay.
Even though Uruguay controlled most of the first half, it was Cape Verde that struck first. In the 21st minute, Kevin Pina smashed a free kick past the Uruguayan wall, past the fingertips of keeper Fernando Muslera and into the back of the net.
The stunner was the first World Cup goal in the country’s history.
Uruguay, though, didn’t take long to bounce back. The team scored its next two goals in a seven-minute span. The first came off a rebound header from Maximillian Araújo, who assisted Agustín Canobbio for the second late in first-half stoppage time.
Uruguay held all of the momentum heading into the second half. But a Cape Verde substitute changed the tide: Three minutes after subbing into the game, Hélio Varela took advantage of a costly defensive mistake from Mathías Olivera, intercepting a poor pass back to beat Fernando Muslera one-on-one and bury the ball into the empty goal.
Cape Verde players were immediately emotional after both goals, but they had to keep going. With the game holding at a 2-2 draw, Uruguay continued to put on pressure on the attack, taking 17 total shots and getting three times as many touches in the box as their opponent. But the Blue Sharks did not yield on defense, and held the 2-2 score line for the remainder of the game.
When a tiny team makes its debut at the World Cup, there tends to be a sense that the team is just happy to participate. But Cape Verde’s two draws have set up a scenario where they can not only thrive in the razor-tight Group H, but potentially even advance.
Spain picked up 4-0 rout over Saudi Arabia earlier on Sunday to lead Group H; meanwhile, Uruguay and Cape Verde are now tied for second with two points each, though La Celeste has a slight advantage in terms of goals scored. But while Uruguay ends the group stage with a match against Spain, Cape Verde will finish it out against Saudi Arabia, meaning that the Blue Sharks have a more advantageous path to a second-place finish.
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