Live updates: Spain vs Cabo Verde
Quick Look
- Cabo Verde holds Spain to a 0-0 draw at halftime in Atlanta.
- Goalkeeper Vozinha made several key saves to deny Spain, while Cabo Verde showed attacking intent.
- This is Cabo Verde's first-ever World Cup game.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Cabo Verde, a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa, is making its first-ever appearance at the World Cup. The national team is ranked 67th in the world.
Live updates: Spain vs Cabo Verde
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By Andrew McGarry
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Spain vs Cabo Verde
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HT: Cabo Verde still level with Spain 0-0 in Atlanta
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By Andrew McGarry
One last attack from Spain sees a header running wide.
But the whistle goes for half-time, and the crowd goes crazy in Atlanta.
What a first-half performance from Cabo Verde! They have held the World Cup equal favourites goal-less for a half of football.
Are we on for one of the great all-time upset results? You'd still favour Spain to make the breakthrough, but they'll have to improve here.
45+2 Vozinha again, stops header from Pedri
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By Andrew McGarry
I don't believe Vozinha is 40 years old.
He is brilliant here! He's produced yet another great diving save to deny a header from Pedri.
45' Another great save from Vozinha for Cabo Verde
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By Andrew McGarry
Spain is raising the intensity, hunting the breakthrough - and that should have been the opener!
A break down the left, the cross came in, it ran to Ferran Torres, and he hit a low drive toward the bottom left corner, but Vozinha was there again with a diving stop!
He has been excellent in goal.
We have four minutes of added time.
41' Cabo Verde breaks free but it comes to nothing
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By Andrew McGarry
That was nearly something for Cabo Verde!
Spain was attacking, but a foot in stopped their progress and the ball was cleared for Blue Sharks to run on to.
Ryan Mendes charged up the middle and sent it out wide right where the move broke down, but that could have been something!
There was a huge roar from the crowd as Cabo Verde broke there. This is really something in Atlanta.
39' Spain go close with shot off the bar and great save
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By Andrew McGarry
La Roja are hitting their straps here, and that was close!
Cucarella chipped from the edge of the box and found Ferran Torres on the left, his shot came off the bar and it came back to Oyarzabal, whose header was going in before Vozinha produced another great tip over the bar!
It's getting tougher for the Blue Sharks, but they are still level, approaching half-time!
36' Great save by Vozinha - but it wouldn't have counted
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By Andrew McGarry
That was Spain's best attack yet, and they surged down the right and sent it to the box, where the ball was stopped by the defence, it came out and there was a thundering header towards goal, only for Vozinha to tip the ball over the bar in an athletic effort.
It wouldn't have counted anyway because of offside.
35' Livramento takes a shot from the centre circle for Cabo Verde!
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By Andrew McGarry
Spain is starting to try to get more fluid moves together, but again it's breaking down.
Oyarzabal had it in the middle but his pass was blocked, and Dailon Livramento looked up in the centre circle and sawe Unai Simon off his line for Spain.
He took a big swipe at it, and it didn't go near the goal.
But that was a moment!
33' Cabo Verde's Ryan Mendes break called back for offside
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By Andrew McGarry
The Blue Sharks are still holding it at 0-0, and they're not just defending. A nice long ball down the right set free skipper Ryan Mendes, but he was a metre or two offside.
Still that's a good show of intent from Cabo Verde
30' Oyarzabal put through but he can't get the shot off
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By Andrew McGarry
Well, we were just saying that Mikel Oyarzabal had hardly been sighted.
He was just put through on the right by Ferran Torres, but the Cabo Verde defence closed him down, and ended up winning a throw - Oyarzabal was arguing the toss with the lines official, thinking he should have a free.
28' Cucarella blasts over for Spain!
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By Andrew McGarry
La Roja are really tryin to put it together here, and they hold it in the forward half.
It falls to Marc Cucarella, and he blasts a right-foot volley over the bar from about 30m out.
The question here is what is happening with Ferran Torres and particularly Mikel Oyarazabal up front - the latter has hardly touched the ball yet.
26' Blue Sharks are in this
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By Andrew McGarry
We've come back from the break, and Cabo Verde are looking composed here.
They break down the right and defender Steven Moreira gets a shot off but it's easily blocked by the Spanish defence.
23' Cabo Verde break down the left
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By Andrew McGarry
That was better from the Blue Sharks.
They won the ball in the middle and spread it out to the left where Jovane Cabral made some ground.
His cross/pass was easily dealt with, there was a bit of a scrum out of the box and eventually it was a free out to Spain.
But that's a sign of what they can do.
It's time for one of those ever-popular hydration breaks.
21' Spain pressing but no finish
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By Andrew McGarry
Spain have been dominating possession here, but they haven't done a lot with it yet.
La Roja went forward on the right, but the ball was scooped into the centre of the box and cleared fairly easily by Cabo Verde.
No concerns yet, there is plenty of time to score, but Spain would surely have been eyeing a big goal-difference booster here.
It's not here yet.
16' Yellow card for Cabo Verde defender
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By Andrew McGarry
The pressure is rising on the Cabo Verde defence, and Sidny Lopes Cabral has gone into the book for a rough challenge on a Spanish attacker.
He will need to be on extra alert now.
15' First Spanish shot on target safely held
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By Andrew McGarry
That was the first sign of unsteadiness from Cabo Verde, with the Blue Sharks giving it away and Spain surging to the edge of the box.
Pedri took a shot from the left, but it was easily saved from Vozinha.
11' Cabo Verde still holding at 0-0
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By Andrew McGarry
Cabo Verde have made a solid start here, it's still 0-0 after 11 minutes. The Blue Sharks have been under a bit of pressure but there have been no huge openings for Spain.
When Cabo Verde try to break, they look to the pace of forward Dailon Livramento. Nothing from it as yet.
3' Spain corner overturned by VAR
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By Andrew McGarry
We've had a slow start in Atlanta. Spain built their way down the right, and the ball went out for a corner.
However, under the new rules for the World Cup, VAR can overrule if an incorrect corner is given, and they did just that.
Where is Cabo Verde? Plus other facts
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By Andrew McGarry
Yesterday we had the World Cup debut of the Caribbean nation of Curaçao, in their 7-1 loss to Germany.
Today we have the first-ever game of Cabo Verde at the tournament.
So where is Cabo Verde? It's a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa.
The nation has nearly four times the population of Curaçao - nearly 525,000 compared to 158,000.
The national team is known as the Tubarões Azuis (or Blue Sharks).
They are ranked 67th in the world.
Open Questions
- Will Spain break the deadlock in the second half?
- Can Cabo Verde maintain their defensive solidity?
- Will Vozinha continue his heroic performance?