All that Vozinha originally wanted out of this World Cup was for his mother to see him play.
He got that — and so much more.
Cape Verde didn’t win a single match at this year’s World Cup, and somehow, that didn’t seem to matter.
The African team’s debut on this stage was unforgettable, thanks largely to the 40-year-old goalkeeper who nearly engineered a football story that would have been counted among the greatest upsets in sports history.
Cape Verde’s magical ride ended on Friday in the round of 32, with the Blue Sharks falling to Lionel Messi and defending World Cup champion Argentina — as most likely expected.
Final score: Champions 3, Cinderella 2, in extra time — as probably very few expected.
And with that, the journey ended.
There was a scoreless draw against Spain to open the tournament, with Vozinha leading the way, which led to the captivating tale surrounding the global collaborative effort it took to get his mother to the US to watch matches in the group stage.
There were two more dramatic draws that were good enough for Cape Verde to get out of the group stage and into the knockout round.
But it took a goal and an assist off a corner kick from Messi to save mighty Argentina, which got the game-winner midway through the second half of extra time, 2½ hours in real time after the David vs. Goliath showdown started.
