Vozinha’s gloves turned Spain’s wave of pressure into Cape Verde Islands history: a 0-0 draw in Atlanta that instantly became the biggest shock of this World Cup group stage.
Vozinha denies Spain when breakthrough finally opens
Spain arrived as European champions and Luis de la Fuente still had names such as Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams on the bench at kick-off. Even with Gavi, Pedri and Ferran Torres among the attacking pillars, La Roja spent most of the first half discovering that control and clarity are not the same thing.
The first clear crack came in the 39th minute. Marc Cucurella headed the ball back from the far post, Ferran Torres struck the crossbar, and Mikel Oyarzabal’s follow-up was stopped by Vozinha. Before half-time, the Cape Verde Islands goalkeeper also kept out Aymeric Laporte’s header from a corner and another Ferran effort from around 10 metres.
Cape Verde withstand Spain’s second-half push
The numbers made the draw feel even more improbable. Spain had 74% possession, 25 shots, 7 on target and 10 corners, while Cape Verde Islands produced 6 shots, 1 on target and 1 corner. Spain’s 730 passes to Cape Verde’s 205 underlined the direction of the match, but not the scoreline.
