Miami [US], July 4 : After sealing the round of 16 spot following a hard-fought win against a valiant Cabo Verde unit, Argentina superstar Lionel Messi hailed his opponents, saying that they did not let them relax and find their rhythm, adding that his side knew that the match was not going to be easy since "everything is even" in a FIFA World Cup.
Messi-led Argentina, perhaps faced one of the scariest 100-odd minutes on a football pitch in recent times untill a Diney Borges own goal made it 3-2 in their favour, sending them to the round of 16 to battle a Mo Salah-led Egypt. While Messi opened the goal tally in the 29th minute and the world expected more magic from him, the 40-year-old Cabo Verde goalie Vozinha and his team had other plans: to give the defending champions a scare of a lifetime.
Following the match, Messi said during the post-match proceedings that it was not a matter of coincidence that Cabo Verde played out draws against Euro champions Spain and Uruguay, acknowledging the greatness and heart of the debutants. He also admitted that the "hardest thing" to do in the match was to get that first goal.
"Well, honestly, we knew, we knew it was going to be a very tough game. It is no coincidence that this team had not lost to Spain or Uruguay. We did the hardest thing, which was getting that first goal. We thought that after that we would find our rhythm and be more relaxed, but it was the complete opposite."
"At times we lost possession, we sat back a bit too much, and we could not press them effectively. And well, they used their strengths to strike. We knew it would be difficult. This is knockout football, and nobody gives you anything for free."
"While some might dismiss certain teams based on their name, we knew it would not be easy at all. That's the nature of this World Cup in particular, right? Everything is very even, very complicated, and every match is going to be incredibly tough," he continued.
Messi acknowledged that his side made a "massive physical effort", and now it is important to "rest, focus on what is ahead, and try to take the positives from today's game".
"Beyond just advancing, I believe there are positives because we did some good things, but we also need to correct the mistakes, of which there were many today," he signed off.