Argentina's "Cape Verde Scare" — The Round of 32 Nearly Capsized, Will They Be Slow Again This Time?

Brothers, Argentina's Round of 32 match against Cape Verde gave all Argentine fans a heart attack.

Twice they took the lead, twice they were equalized, and it dragged on until the last moments of extra time when they scraped through 3-2 thanks to an own goal from the opponent. The defending champion, playing against an island nation that is participating in the World Cup for the first time, almost capsized. After the match, the Argentine media was full of criticism, Scaloni's tactics were questioned, and the players were under immense pressure.

But brothers, this scare might just be a good thing. Why? Because Argentina got scared awake.

The match against Cape Verde exposed Argentina's fatal weakness — their inability to break down a parked bus. Cape Verde retreated en masse, Argentina had over 70% possession, but just couldn't score. Egypt's tactics are exactly the same as Cape Verde's — even more extreme. Egypt scraped through to the Round of 16 in the group stage relying on counter-attacks.

Scaloni has definitely learned his lesson. For the match against Egypt, Argentina will likely make adjustments — possibly starting Paredes to strengthen midfield control, or playing both Álvarez and Lautaro to increase the number of players attacking the box. A scared-awake Argentina is much more formidable than a complacent one.

Also, there's one statistic worth noting — Argentina has scored first in all 4 of their matches in this World Cup. As long as Argentina can take an early lead, Egypt's parked bus will have to be dismantled, forcing them to push forward. By then, Argentina's counter-attacks will be even more lethal.

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