The incident started at the World Cup. Euro champions Spain fed ‘weak’ countries like Cape Verde. Pedri-Rodri’s team could be said to have stopped before Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha. The match ended goalless. The fight will be remembered by football fans around the world. Lemin Yamal could not enter the field as a substitute.
As the World Cup goes on, more incidents will undoubtedly occur. But for a country ranked 67th to stop a strong team like Spain is undoubtedly an accident!
Before the World Cup, Spain’s two young wingers Lemin Yamal and Nico Williams were injured. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente did not take any risks in the first XI of Group H at the Atlanta Stadium. Maybe they didn’t care much for Cape Verde.
Rodri and Pedri were good in midfield. However, they composed an attack featuring Gavi, Ferran Torres and Michael Varzabal. The third can still play on false nine. But neither Torres nor Gavi are wing players. As a result, what was supposed to happen happened. The midfield was all in Spain’s hands. But he lost control in the last third match. Gavi dropped to his usual midfield position. Torres, on the other hand, was in the middle. Varzabal was nowhere to be found in the first half.
Spain’s first proper attack came in the 38th minute. Sideback Mark crouched and set up the ball for a header. Torres made no mistake with the first header. But from that moment it became clear who Spain was really playing against. Cape Verde goalkeeper Vojinha, making his World Cup debut as a freshman, blocked Torres’ header, then also stopped Verzabal’s header on the return ball. This was just the beginning. Vozinha took over the full defense of the Spanish Armada. In the 44th minute he again blocked a shot from Torres that hit the ground. European champions Spain were repeatedly frustrated by a solid seven-man defense and Vozinha’s ‘impenetrable wall’.
Lack of lamin was evident. Spain coach did not exclude Yamal at the beginning of the second half. However, Torres stepped up the attack a bit. But that’s food. Sometimes he blocked Spain’s defender Laporte’s header, sometimes Varzabal’s shot. At one point the match turned into Spain vs. Vozinha.
Spain coach La Fuente was forced to remove Lemin in the 70th minute. Cape Verde coach Bouvista immediately placed three defenders behind him. Vojinha blocked Marcus Llorente’s shot in the 72nd minute. He also made an incredible save at the very end of the match.
Spain had eight shots on target in the entire game. Cape Verde, on the other hand, had just one shot. He could have scored from there, but didn’t. Never mind it’s not always about scoring goals or winning matches. Holding the ground is even more important. That makes a story.
A powerful country like Spain bowed to 500,0 countries not just by tactics. You must have a heart as big as a lion inside your chest. Cape Verde proves that. They are no longer known as the smallest nation to play in the World Cup. They stopped the Spanish Armada on a big stage like the World Cup. The heroic story of Vojinha and his brigade will live on for centuries. But there is only one consolation for Spain. In 2010, they became world champions after losing their first match.