Cape Verde pulled off one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history, holding Spain to a goalless draw in their tournament debut at Atlanta Stadium on Monday.
The European champions came into the clash as clear favorites, with many predicting an easy win for them. However, led by an inspired performance by goalkeeper Vozinha, Cape Verde were able to achieve a historic feat, securing their first-ever point in the tournament.
Spain dominated possession for most of the first half unsurprisingly, but Cape Verde’s defense were disciplined enough to prevent any major threat. In the 38th minute, 40-year-old shot stopper Vozinha produced a superb save to deny Pedri, although the offside flag later went up.
Few minutes later, Spain got their biggest chance of the half as Ferran Torres smashed his effort from close range against the crossbar before Oyarzarbal’s rebound was superbly tipped over by Vozinha.
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Cape Verde’s goalkeeper made two more crucial saves before halftime, denying Ferran Torres who tried to pass his effort into the bottom-left corner, and Aymeric Laporte, whose header was pushed aside to keep the scores level.
The second half continued in the same fashion with Spain totally dominating. To their credit, Cape Verde also kept defending really well, keeping the European champions at bay.
Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal was introduced in the 71st minute as Luis de la Fuente’s side pushed desperately for a goal. The 18-year-old, also making his World Cup debut, immediately injected some life into Spain’s attack, increasing their hopes of snatching a late winner.
Despite their all-attack approach in the final minutes of the game, Spain were unable to breach Cape Verde’s stubborn defense, as the African side held on to secure their first-ever World Cup point.
Cape Verde’s next game will come up against Uruguay on Sunday, June 21 while Spain will be eager to return to winning ways when they face Saudi Arabia on the same day.
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