Reigning champions Argentina needed an ⁠extra-time own goal to overcome ⁠a Cape Verde side with incredible levels of resilience 3-2  in a thrilling contest and secure their spot in the last 16 of the World Cup.

The Africans, playing in their first World Cup, had twice come from a goal down on Friday ⁠to silence the vast majority of the crowd of 64,478 packed into a hot and humid Miami Stadium.

Six minutes into the second period of extra time, Lionel Messi swung a corner into the box, and Cristian Romero rose to head home off the arm of Cape Verde centre-back Diney Borges ⁠and finally set up a date with Egypt in Atlanta next Tuesday.

Messi had, almost inevitably, given Argentina the lead in the 29th minute with his seventh goal of the tournament, but Deroy Duarte equalised just before the hour mark.

The Blue Sharks held on to send the match into an additional half hour before Lisandro Martinez lashed a sumptuous shot into the roof of the net in the second minute of the first period of extra time to put Argentina ahead again.

Cape ‌Verde were not done yet, however, and left back Sidny Lopes Cabral curled a beautiful shot into the top corner of the net in the 103rd minute of the contest to put the scores back on level terms at 2-2.

Lopes Cabral could have equalised again after Romero’s goal, but his finely struck free kick was saved by Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who had to be at his best to deny Cape Verde in the dying minutes.

Cape Verde were beaten but far from outclassed by the three-times world champions as they put in a fourth magnificent display of teamwork and grit at their first World Cup.

The only one of the four World Cup debutants to make it to the last 32 and ⁠ranked 67th in the world coming into the tournament, Cape Verde had hoped to frustrate Argentina as they did ⁠Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in group-stage draws.

They succeeded, while showing no shortage of quality of their own, for much of the game with a never-say-die desperation and a neat pass-and-move game.

Messi aside, Argentina were largely bereft of ideas against an obdurate defence and Cape Verde libero Kevin Pina was the most impressive player on the park for long periods ⁠of the contest.

It was Argentina who made the breakthrough in the 29th minute, however, when Lisandro Martinez lofted a long ball over the top of the defence to the feet of Messi.

The 39-year-old maestro took a touch with the ⁠outside of his left boot and buried it in the roof of Vozinha’s net for ⁠his 20th goal over six editions of football’s global showpiece.

Cape Verde knew they would need to score to keep their World Cup campaign alive and Duarte fired a shot at goal soon after half-time that drew a diving save out of Martinez.

Just before the hour mark, captain Ryan Mendes was freed down the right, and his pass into the box found the Dutch-born midfielder, ‌who controlled the ball with his left foot before drilling it past Martinez with his right.

Messi had a chance to put Argentina back in front four minutes later when he was played through on goal, but Vozinha stood up well to keep his shot out of the net.

One of Messi’s trademark ‌free ‌kicks was tipped away by Vozinha in the 72nd minute, and Cape Verde defender Pico Lopes had to intervene to prevent Enzo Fernandez from scoring 10 minutes later.

Cape Verde held on to force the dramatic period of extra time, and they will now return home heroes having put their tiny island-nation firmly on the footballing map.

(Aljazeera)

Hossam Abdelmaguid scored the winning penalty as Egypt made history by beating a dogged Australia 4-2 on penalties to reach the World Cup last 16.

A tense affair on Friday in which Egypt and their off-colour captain Mohamed Salah wasted the better chances had ended 1-1 after 120 minutes in Texas.

Lionel Messi’s Argentina loom next for Egypt, as long as the reigning champions avoid a massive upset against tournament debutants Cape Verde in their last-32 encounter.

The Pharaohs will celebrate anyway, having reached this stage of a World Cup for the first time ever.

Australia coach Tony Popovic threw on experienced goalkeeper Mathew Ryan for the penalty shootout in a last-gasp gamble.

Shooting towards the Egypt fans and whistles raining down, defender Harry Souttar blazed the first penalty over to put the Socceroos on the immediate back foot.

The next five players all scored, including Salah with the coolest of penalties, before 18-year-old Australia defender Lucas Herrington hit the bar.

Abdelmaguid kept his nerve to send Egypt through to leave Salah in tears of joy and break Australia hearts

Emam Ashour had given seven-time African champions Egypt the lead from a header after 13 minutes at the air-conditioned home of the Dallas Cowboys.

The early goal put the onus on a shot-shy Australia, who scored only twice in the group phase, to attack in front of a crowd of 70,000.

With Salah mostly ineffective following injury in Egypt’s last game, the Socceroos equalised 10 minutes after half-time when Mohamed Hany headed into his own net.

Both sides sensed history, neither having won a knockout game before at a men’s World Cup, and they went to extra time after some late Egypt pressure.

With nothing to divide them, they went to penalties.

Popovic’s side had nearly taken the lead with less than five minutes gone as Cristian Volpato – who switched to Australia from Italy on the eve of the World Cup – rattled the top of the crossbar.

Egypt, who won a World Cup match for the first time in the group phase when they beat New Zealand 3-1, looked nervy at the back.

Slightly against the run of play, Hossam Hassan’s men took the lead.

Australia forward Nestory Irankunda failed to pick up Ashour, who headed home at the back post from a cross by Karim Hafez for his second goal of the tournament.

The Socceroos had their first shot on target 10 minutes before the break when full-back Aziz Behich fired tamely at goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir.

His father, Ahmed, played in goal for Egypt at the 1990 World Cup.

The 34-year-old talisman Salah, who came into the match after a hamstring strain, made little impact in an attritional first 45 minutes.

The half ended with Jordan Bos, one of the fastest players at the tournament, in a heap after a robust flying challenge from Rabia.

The wing-back had to be helped from the pitch and was replaced at half-time by Kai Trewin in a blow to Australian hopes.

Seconds after the restart it should have been 2-0 when Egypt’s Manchester City attacker Omar Marmoush slid the ball off-target from close range.

Egypt’s coach had said he was wary of Australia’s physical approach, and so it proved as Hany headed under pressure into his own net from an in-swinging Socceroos free-kick.

It was Hany’s second own goal of the tournament.

Former Liverpool superstar Salah remained a peripheral figure but was involved in the buildup as Australian stopper Patrick Beach saved athletically deep in added time to keep out Ramy and force another 30 minutes.

Egypt finished normal time the stronger and Salah fired well over early in extra time on his weaker right foot, with penalties looking increasingly inevitable.

Salah, though, was to prove more reliable in the shootout as Egypt triumphed.

Egypt will face the winner of the last-32 match between Argentina and Cape Verde in Atlanta in the next round on Tuesday.

(Aljazeera)

A pair of wickets in the final half hour play brought the West Indies  back into the game, but prior to that it was Lahiru Udara  who had led Sri Lanka’s redemption arc as the opener fell 12 runs short of a maiden Test double-ton as day one of this second Test wound to a close at North Sound.

At 32 years of age, Udara has had to bide his time to make his way into the Test side, and it was just his luck that Sri Lanka’s Test schedule shrunk considerably just as he made his debut last June. Then in the Caribbean, he might not have got a look in, but an injury to Pathum Nissanka opened the door, and like Amir Jangoo in the first Test he took his chance with both hands.

Udara’s epic 188 off 248 all but ensured that the visitors ended the day in precisely the sort of commanding position they would have envisioned when they opted to bat – only partially sullied by those late strikes.

His innings came primarily across two major stands. The first was of the record-breaking variety, as Udara and Kamindu Mendis (84 off 120) struck 215 off just 255 deliveries. It was Sri Lanka’s highest-ever partnership in the Caribbean and very nearly their highest ever against West Indies in Tests. It also came after their side had stumbled to 25 for 2.

The second was less brisk but equally as important, as Dhananjaya de Silva joined Udara in the middle to stitch together a stand of 93 off 179. This one had come just as West Indies had begun to put together a much more disciplined display with the ball in the final session – efforts that had for large parts seemed destined to go without reward.

But the perseverance from the hosts belatedly paid off, first as a tiring Udara – he had received treatment earlier in the session on his lower back – top-edged to deep fine leg, before the other set batter, Dhananjaya, edged through to the slips after a gritty 33 off 90.

The latter wicket also brought about another cause for celebration for West Indies, as it meant that Jayden Seales reached 100 Test wickets, becoming the second-fastest West Indian bowler to do so in terms of deliveries bowled – Ian Bishop heads the list.

Seales’ and his team-mates’ jubilant celebrations were representative of catharsis, but also revealed the frustration that had been building up until that point, as Sri Lanka rode their luck but also pressed home the advantage for much of the game. They will however now feel they have restored some parity on a day that was largely dominated by the visitors.

Scores:

Sri Lanka 338 for 5 in 83 overs (Lahiru Udara 188, Kamindu  Mendis 84;  Shamar Joseph 2-60) vs West Indies

(Cricinfo)