BROCKTON, Mass. — Cape Verde took defending champs Argentina to extra time in the round of 32 Friday night.
It was a thrilling match, but Lionel Messi and Argentina were too much to handle. Argentina won 3-2 to advance in the knockout stages.
Cape Verde’s Cinderella run is over, but their fans are proud of their team’s performance in this tournament.
“It was an amazing game. I’m proud of our boys,” one fan said. “We lost, but we did a good job.”
Fans of the Blue Sharks packed Luanda in Brockton for a watch party. They were chanting and cheering loudly with whistles after each of their two goals.
“We always knew we had it in ourselves; we just had to prove it to everybody,” another fan said. “I’m telling you in 4 years ahead when we come back, we’re going to come back stronger.”
Cape Verde won over the hearts of fans all over the world after their opening match draw against Spain. The goalkeeper Vozinha became one of the most popular players with all of his big saves.
The experience of seeing their home nation on soccer’s biggest stage for the first time was a treat. It was only enhanced as people started cheering for Cape Verde as the games went on.
“Some people now they’re googling us. They want to know what we eat, what we do, and who Vozinha is. To have people go Google ourselves, it’s already a victory.”
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