(ESP-ENG) Cabo Verde y las dos campeonas mundiales [Opinión]

Hello friends, good vibes to all.

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Many of us, myself included, were very skeptical about having 48 teams in a World Cup, mainly due to concerns about the quality of the matches given the teams we were going to see. It was a real worry because we wondered how countries like Curaçao, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Cape Verde would compete. In fact, when making predictions, I was sure these teams would fail miserably and put on very poor performances for a World Cup. I can say that, at least until yesterday, I was very wrong, and I'm not ashamed to admit it because this benefits the spectacle and the very essence of the sport.

Cape Verde, this small country located in an archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic, has been the pleasant and surprising revelation of this World Cup, not so much for the colorful and cheerful nature of its fans, but for the sheer determination it has shown in its two matches. As the title of this review suggests, Cape Verde has managed to stand firm against two world champions and, even more impressively, has taken points from both. Group H, where there was no doubt about who would advance to the round of 32, has become so complicated that EVERYTHING will be decided on the final matchday; neither the first-place finish nor the eliminated team is yet determined. And the reason for all this is Cape Verde's audacity (and to some extent, Uruguay's poor performance).

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Some will debate how Cape Verde managed to secure two draws: against Spain, defending with everything they had thanks to a great performance from Vozinha, and yesterday against Uruguay, capitalizing on glaring errors by the Uruguayan defense. Yes, the first goal, a spectacular strike (and the free kick deserves credit), resulted from poor wall setup and defense, while the second stemmed from an inexplicable lack of communication between the center-backs and the goalkeeper. But as they say, you have to be in the right place at the right time to score, and the Cape Verdean players were. Incidentally, the fact that this team's first-ever World Cup goal was Kevin Pina's free kick is absolutely incredible. But Cape Verde didn't win solely due to those circumstances or "luck"; there were other factors at play.

Part of managing to draw against one of the favorites to win the World Cup, a team known for its drive and determination, lies in the mentality of its players. This is a highly organized team with a solid grasp of fundamental football principles (counter-attacks, a compact defensive unit, and tight marking), and ultimately, they have absolutely nothing to lose. Yesterday, against Uruguay, when they were losing 2-1, they continued to press as best they could, which eventually forced Mathias Olivera into a mistake and allowed them to equalize. The most surprising thing about this is that the Africans had more shots on goal than the Uruguayans despite not having more possession; this illustrates what I was saying: every opportunity they saw, they took full advantage of.

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I'd like to take this opportunity to briefly mention Uruguay's terrible form. Failing to get past a draw against Saudi Arabia and now against Cape Verde could be catastrophic, especially considering they'll be playing for a spot in the next round against Spain. For me, the main problem is Marcelo Bielsa, a coach who, despite his ability to develop players, isn't a winning manager. We're talking about the last title he won in Argentina 28 years ago. It's not just about the draws, because that result isn't necessarily bad; it's the way they played in both matches. The match against Spain will be crucial because both teams need to win. Cape Verde could pull off a major upset if they manage to beat Saudi Arabia. Is it impossible? Not at all. And from this platform, we'll be cheering on these "smaller" teams.

Well folks, that's all for today. I hope you enjoyed it.
¡Hugs to everyone, see you next time!

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