Argentina survived, but Messi was honest: "hay que corregir lo malo, que hoy fue mucho"
Argentina survived extra time against Cape Verde, but Messi was blunt: 'hay que corregir lo malo.' What Miami revealed about the world champions.
Argentina are through to the round of sixteen. But the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami witnessed something nobody saw coming: the reigning world champions being pushed all the way to extra time by Cape Verde, the second-smallest nation at this World Cup.
The final score was 3–2, settled by a Cristian Romero goal that deflected off a defender before crossing the line. Before that, Deroy Duarte had equalised twice for the Blue Sharks. The defining moment of the match came in the first half of extra time, when Sidny Lopes Cabral scored a stunning, unforgettable goal to level for the second time and leave the footballing world in shock.
Messi opened the scoring — his seventh goal of the tournament, across eight consecutive World Cup matches in which he has found the net — and left the pitch with a massive lump on his forehead from a blow he took during the game. But it was in front of the microphones that the number 10 set the tone: "hay que corregir lo malo, que hoy fue mucho", he said, according to Marca.
And there was plenty to correct. According to Olé, Argentina showed a lack of attacking aggression, disjointed defensive lines and a low individual level throughout. They did advance — but the performance was, in Trivela's words, "irresponsible."
On the other side, Cape Verde walked off with their heads held high. Goalkeeper Vozinha was the standout performer and was keen to put things in perspective: "it wasn't a duel between Vozinha and Messi, but between Cape Verde and Argentina," he declared, according to A Bola. Two Blue Sharks players even waited for Messi to finish his press conference so they could take a photo with him — and left grinning.
The Golmetria model gives Argentina a 20.1% chance of lifting the trophy — favourites, but far from unbeatable. And what Miami showed is that, if the Albiceleste don't sort themselves out, someone will make them pay in the round of sixteen.
Their next opponents are Egypt, who eliminated Australia on penalties. Messi and company have been warned.