{"id":512187,"date":"2026-06-22T07:08:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T07:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/512187\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T07:08:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T07:08:14","slug":"crumlins-pico-lopes-helps-cape-verde-deliver-another-world-cup-shock-in-uruguay-draw-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/512187\/","title":{"rendered":"Crumlin\u2019s Pico Lopes helps Cape Verde deliver another World Cup shock in Uruguay draw \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wow. The continuation of Cape Verde\u2019s fairytale may have serious repercussions for Marcelo Bielsa and Uruguay. Shamrock Rovers centre-half and Crumlin native Roberto \u201cPico\u201d Lopes<\/a> has played a big part in two strong defensive performances at this World Cup<\/a>. The heroics of Cape Verde in holding Spain to a draw mean Uruguay should have been forewarned and forearmed in Florida. Instead, this tiny nation with a population equivalent to that of Bristol embarrassed World Cup aristocracy once more. What fun, what glorious fun.<\/p>\n

Uruguay now head into Group H\u2019s final game against Spain with their tournament involvement in serious jeopardy. Uruguay had already failed to beat Saudi Arabia. Cape Verde will hold high and legitimate hopes of seeing off the Saudis on Friday. They might not even need to, with an aggregate of three points from another draw potentially good enough for the last 32. The Blue Sharks, swimming in bigger waters than ever before, are the story of this World Cup. Uruguay have desperately underperformed thus far.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are here to compete and achieve a new dream, which is to qualify for the second round,\u201d said the Cape Verde head coach, Bubista. \u201cWe are now at the point where we can say we will definitely fight for qualification.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bielsa bemoaned his team\u2019s mood when the game reached 2-2. The 70-year-old faced an audibly irked Uruguayan media. \u201cThe team was highly disorganised,\u201d Bielsa said. \u201cWe would attack while running the risk of them scoring against us at the end of the match. We could have won the match and we also could have lost the match. Undoubtedly, Uruguay is a better squad than Cape Verde. But this has to be shown.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have the need and the obligation to beat Spain. It is a gargantuan challenge for all of us.\u201d Bielsa added Ronald Ara\u00fajo will not return from injury for that game.<\/p>\n

Twenty minutes had been played. Kevin Pina lined up a free-kick, 28 yards from goal. The two-man wall inexplicably broke, allowing Pina\u2019s fierce shot to hurtle towards Fernando Muslera. Uruguay\u2019s veteran goalkeeper could not adjust his feet quickly enough, the ball flying past him to hand Cape Verde the lead. Cameras panned to a euphoric Ana Candida Evora in the stands; the mother of Cape Verde\u2019s goalkeeper Vozinha had feared she would miss this occasion in Miami due to cost. What a moment, not only for Evora. Bubista \u2013 dressed in blue denim and a T-shirt \u2013 was upstaging the renowned Bielsa.<\/p>\n

Uruguay jabbed back. Nonetheless, the two goals in the dying embers of the first half which felt hugely significant were only to stir a response from those in red. Cape Verde\u2019s offering to this game and this World Cup must be savoured. They have not only capable players but fearless ones. A team that epitomise everything that is good about the underdog.<\/p>\n

Pina\u2019s goal came amid early stages where Uruguay wasted their dominance of possession. Cape Verde\u2019s players had swayed in unison during their national anthem. They were soon to rock Bielsa. More than once.<\/p>\n

\"PlayersPlayers of Cape Verde pose for a team photo ahead of the Fifa World Cup 2026 group stage match against Uruguay, in Miami. Photograph: Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich\/EPA <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Cape Verde and Crumlin\u2019s Pico Lopes keep Spain at bay to secure historic World Cup pointOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Cape Verde seemed to draw confidence from Garry Rodrigues, whose touch and electric pace left Guillermo Varela for dust. Pina soon sparked wild scenes among the tiny contingent in the stands who were dressed in blue. Not content with holding Spain, Cape Verde wanted a scalp. Pina will go down in history as the scorer of his nation\u2019s maiden World Cup goal. Uruguayan panic was summed up by Muslera, who scrambled to bat away a cross-cum-shot from Sidny Cabral.<\/p>\n

Cape Verde will be angry at the manner in which Uruguay apparently turned this fixture back in their favour. Rodrigo Bentancur\u2019s header deflected off Cabral and on to a post before rebounding into the six-yard area. Maximiliano Ara\u00fajo was standing in splendid isolation there, the Sporting man stooping and heading in for 1-1. Moments earlier, Telmo Arcanjo had attempted to lob Muslera from 75 yards. The attempt was needless; Cape Verde were worrying Uruguay with direct running.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Crumlin gripped by World Cup fever as dream becomes a reality for Pico Lopes\u2019s parentsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Uruguay nudged ahead with seconds of first-half stoppage time remaining. The interval scoreline was unquestionably harsh on their opponents. Again, the goal was beyond soft from a defensive standpoint. Ara\u00fajo headed the ball into the path of Agust\u00edn Canobbio, who was totally unmarked. Another blissfully easy finish from close range allowed the vast ranks of Uruguay fans to relax. Likewise applied to Luis Su\u00e1rez, who watched from a corporate box. Arcanjo had been assisted with cramp by Federico Vi\u00f1as before the Uruguay man sensed opportunity, promptly dropping his opponent\u2019s leg. It was a bizarre scene in keeping with an impulsive game. Bubista said he was \u201cfrustrated\u201d by the episode.<\/p>\n

The two-time World Cup winners had not factored in Cape Verde\u2019s wonderful, indomitable spirit. Or, indeed, defensive calamity. Having received a throw-in, Math\u00edas Olivera played a blind ball right across his own goal. No wonder he was to cover his head with his shirt within seconds. Muslera was in no man\u2019s land, which allowed Helio Varela to steal in. Showing great composure given the circumstances, Varela stroked the ball home before leading his teammates on a celebratory dance. This marked Varela\u2019s first goal for his country. What a time to produce it.<\/p>\n

\"CapeCape Verde and Crumlin\u2019s Pico Lopes tackles Pedri of Spain battle for the ball at the World Cup 2026 in their first group game. Photograph: Ulrik Pedersen\/NurPhoto via Getty Images <\/p>\n

Uruguay thought they had taken the lead as Ara\u00fajo bundled the ball over the line, only for offside to be called for earlier in the move. This saved the blushes of Vozinha, who had spilled the ball.<\/p>\n

Uruguay\u2019s finest spell of the game followed. Doubtless through awareness of a bigger picture, Uruguay frantically chased the fifth goal of the night. An outstanding Steven Moreira block denied Bielsa\u2019s men the lead. Federico Valverde cracked a free-kick narrowly over Vozinha\u2019s bar. Canobbio lacked calmness when through on goal. Cape Verde were hemmed in but so resilient. Players celebrated defensive wins with exuberance.<\/p>\n

Eight minutes of stoppage time remarkably concluded with Cape Verde on the front foot. Bielsa sat motionless on his Powerade box. He and Uruguay are in trouble now. – Guardian<\/p>\n

[\u00a0\u2018This place was crazy\u2019: Visiting World Cup fans give Americans cause for celebrationOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wow. The continuation of Cape Verde\u2019s fairytale may have serious repercussions for Marcelo Bielsa and Uruguay. Shamrock Rovers…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":512188,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[61,60,51962,11113,112,4018],"class_list":["post-512187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-pico-lopes","tag-shamrock-rovers","tag-sports","tag-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=512187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/512187\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/512188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=512187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=512187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=512187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}