DID you forget to breathe? Is your heart still pounding from the breathlessness of what you had witnessed more than 24 hours ago? When Cape Verde — that tiny nation whose entire population would fill out all the Stadiums in only the Greater Buenos Aires area — threatened to pen one of the greatest World Cup stories of all time.
On a fever dream of an evening in the Sunshine State, tens of 1000s had turned Miami into the Lionel Messi convention centre. All of this was expected. The Greater Miami area has a large Argentine population, and that's before you include the number of people who have been converted after Messi made Inter Miami his new home a few years ago.
On the morning of the first knockout round against Cape Verde, the city's famous beaches had been converted into one giant Albiceleste fan zone. The humid Miami air, it was fair to say, had come to watch Messi in the evening sunshine. When the lights were finally switched off, euphoria had become many shades of dread before relief finally washed over.
The holders were pushed to the brink here by the tournament's undoubted storyline. In terms of ranking, it was one of the largest mismatches in the competition's knockout history — World No. 2 vs the 64th-ranked nation. In terms of team value, it was starker. Over $750mn vs $35mn.
But the Africans, who topped a qualifying group that included Cameroon, have an uncommon ability to keep raising their game. Before Argentina, they had already drawn both Spain and Uruguay. And for the vast majority of the 120 minutes in the humid air, they matched Argentina stride for stride. They arguably had the better moments but were done in by a more experienced team at this level.
The game's first true moment came from the feet of Messi, a 20th goal at the World Cup and 7th in this. It was liquid Messi. A long diagonal from Lisandro Martinez was brought down with an outrageous first touch. The second touch was a finish into the roof of the net from close range. While the 39-year-old has lost some of his speed and acceleration, his gossamer touch, close control, pin-point finishing and dribbling skills continue to keep him relevant in the modern game.
That goal ought to have settled the champions, but this is a team that continues to give away chances irrespective of the opposition. Just before the hour, a loose Argentina pass was intercepted before the Africans played through their opponents down the right before a cut-back from the right was finished with aplomb across the keeper by Deroy Duarte.
As evening gave way to nightfall, there was increasingly an odd feeling among the Argentina supporters when the referee signalled the start of extra time. A Martinez finish from a Messi corner provided a temporary lift-off, but that was before arguably the best goal at this year's World Cup quietened the hoi-polloi. Sidny Lopes Cabral, a player who played for Benfica against Real Madrid in the Champions earlier this season, produced a moment of magic.
After recycling the ball back to the defence, a 30-yard cross was floated back to him. On the left inside the final third, he brought it down in one fluent motion. He then had the presence of mind to roll the ball away from Alexis Mac Allister, who wanted to engage him. With him out of the game, the angle had opened up for him to have a pop from the edge of the box. But it had to be perfect, a marriage of physics and sport.
But Cabral found that marriage to perfection, his wand of a right foot curling it into the top corner. Mac Allister had his head in his hands, but so did Cabral because he could barely believe what he had done.
Albiceleste, though, weren't to be denied as a devilish Messi corner hit a Cape Verdean head before it nestled in the back of the net. An unfortunate ending to one of the stories of the season. The scoreboard said Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde, but that doesn't even begin to say what unfolded over 120 crazy minutes.
Friday's result: Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde aet.
