Argentina Wary of Unbeaten Cabo Verde
Miami, Defending champion Argentina will adopt a cautious approach when it faces unbeaten World Cup debutant Cabo Verde in the round of 32, head coach Lionel Scaloni has said.
The match between Argentina and Cabo Verde will begin at 6 p.m. local time on Friday at Miami Stadium. It will be the first international meeting between the Group J winner and the Group H runner-up.
Argentina advanced to the knockout stage after winning all three of its group matches, scoring eight goals and conceding only once.
Cabo Verde, competing in the World Cup for the first time, reached the round of 32 without suffering a defeat. The African side drew 0–0 with Spain, 2–2 with Uruguay and 0–0 with Saudi Arabia to finish second in Group H.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Thursday, Scaloni said Argentina was excited about the knockout stage but must fully respect the quality and performance of its opponent.
“We are excited like everyone else, but there is an opponent that we have to face and respect. They have performed very well in this tournament,” Scaloni said.
He noted that the gap between teams becomes narrower in the knockout stage and warned that the match against Cabo Verde would not be easy.
Scaloni identified Cabo Verde’s organised defence and rapid counterattacking ability as the main challenges for Argentina. He said the African side effectively blocks passes through central areas and quickly launches attacks after recovering possession.
The Argentine coach rejected any suggestion that Cabo Verde had reached the knockout stage by chance. He said the team deserved more from its match against Saudi Arabia and defended with discipline despite coming under greater pressure against Spain and Uruguay.
“They have not lost a match. They want to play good football and are very effective on the counterattack. They are not here by chance,” Scaloni said.
Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul also urged caution, saying the team would approach the match as if it were a final.
“We have to face this match with great responsibility. Every time we wear the Argentina national team jersey, we will not hold anything back,” De Paul said.
He added that every knockout match must be treated as potentially the last game of the tournament and said he would give everything to help Argentina continue its campaign.
The winner of the match will advance to the round of 16.
High temperatures and humidity in Miami are expected to present an additional challenge for both teams. The temperature is forecast to be around 30 degrees Celsius at kickoff.
Scaloni acknowledged that playing at night might have been more comfortable for the players but stressed that the weather conditions would be the same for both sides.
Argentina enters the match as one of the leading contenders for the title, while Cabo Verde will seek to extend its unbeaten run and produce another notable result in its historic World Cup debut.
