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Key events
Preamble
Paradoxically, this World Cup has been the year of high scores – the average number of goals per game is a little above 3.0, a number not seen since the 1950s – and the year of the goalkeeper.
Eloy Room of Curaçao wowed Cup-watchers with 15 saves, the most in a 90-minute match since modern record-keeping started (Tim Howard had 16 in an extra-time game to become the most meme-worthy person in the USA for a while).
Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand posted a save that will rival the legendary Gordon Banks save against Pele in the just-concluded game against Belgium.
And Cape Verde goalkeeper Josimar Dias, better known as “Vozinha,” has become an international superstar after slamming the door on Spain.
Will Uruguay manage a way past Vozinha? Will Cape Verde manage a goal of their own? Did you expect to be contemplating such questions a month ago?
Contemplate for the next couple of hours right here …
Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s what to know about Uruguay and Cape Verde before they meet in a few hours in Miami.
Uruguay
Marcelo Bielsa has left his indelible mark on this Uruguay team. His 4-3-3 system is built for direct football, allowing his side to press their opponents high up the field and chase the ball at all times. There is no letup in attacking when Uruguay have possession.
Ignacio Alonso, the president of the Uruguayan Football Association, set the target: “Uruguay have to aspire to be in the world’s top 10 and therefore we have to reach the quarter-finals.” Alonso also addressed concerns over Uruguay’s form. “Bielsa is very excited for the World Cup,” he said. “He’s got his mind focused on the preparations. His objective is to have a great World Cup. It’s his aspiration, the result of all his work, research and preparation.”
Cape Verde
The Blue Sharks of Cape Verde are swimming in uncharted waters as they make their World Cup debut, but you wouldn’t want to bet against them. The tiny archipelago off the coast of west Africa played their first World Cup qualifier in 2000, but if any team can handle the pressure of a meteoric rise to the top of world football it is Cape Verde. After all, the country’s national slogan – morabeza – roughly translates to “no stress”. They will need that mentality as they take on Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H.
It is an eclectic group of players assembled by Pedro Leitão Brito, known as Bubista. The 26-man squad represents 25 clubs from 14 countries and has more players born in Rotterdam (six) than in Cape Verde’s capital, Praia. But for a nation built on immigration, navigating complex identities and languages isn’t a challenge, it’s something to be embraced.
