Cape Verde can reach World Cup round of 32 with win over Saudi Arabia
7 reported
Cape Verde controls its own destiny with one match left in group play at the World Cup, according to a report. A win on Friday against Saudi Arabia would send the tiny nation of about 500,000 people to the round of 32. Even a draw might be enough to earn a spot in the knockout round. The Blue Sharks were long shots entering the tournament, with some books giving them no better than 12% to advance from the group stage. They are currently favored to move on. A pair of draws — first against Spain and then a 2-2 result against Uruguay — has Cape Verde still searching for its first win in its initial World Cup appearance. Spain leads Group H with four points, Uruguay and Cape Verde have two points each, and Saudi Arabia has one point. The top two teams from each group advance to the round of 32 along with the top eight third-place teams in the 12 groups.
What’s reported
Cape Verde controls its own destiny with one match left in group play.
A win over Saudi Arabia on Friday would send Cape Verde to the round of 32.
A draw might also be enough to earn a spot in the knockout round.
Some betting books gave Cape Verde no better than 12% to advance from the group stage.
Cape Verde has two draws (vs. Spain and Uruguay) and is still seeking its first World Cup win.
Spain leads Group H with four points; Uruguay and Cape Verde have two points each; Saudi Arabia has one point.
The top two teams from each group and the top eight third-place teams from the 12 groups advance to the round of 32.
Key figures
Roberto Lopes, Cape Verde defender
CJ dos Santos, Cape Verde backup goalkeeper
Bubista, Cape Verde coach
Vozinha, Cape Verde goalkeeper (age 40)
Kevin Pina, Cape Verde player who scored against Uruguay
Amélia Goncalves, owner of Luanda Restaurant in Brockton, Massachusetts
Micaelle Nunes, soccer reveler in Brockton, Massachusetts
Leah Willingham, Associated Press writer in Brockton, Massachusetts
Zach Pascuzzi, student at University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute in Miami Gardens, Florida
Sources: abcnews.com
