Argentina survive huge scare against Cape Verde as Messi makes it 8 in a row

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2:08Alan Shearer:Hello and welcome to The Rest is Football. On today's show, we've got Joe Cole, Micah Richards, Alan Shearer, and a very special guest, a Doctor Who, Christopher Eccleston. And we will be discussing one of the great World Cup games and the brilliant performance from Cape Verde. Wasn't quite enough against Argentina, but what a go they gave it. And don't forget, if you'd like to see the show, you can catch us on Netflix every day.

2:38Alan Shearer:Reigning champions Argentina needed extra time against an extraordinary, heroic Cape Verde in Florida. But in the end, Argentina provided too much Miami heat. Welcome to The Rest is Football. With us tonight, we have Micah Richards, Joe Cole, and not one, but two legendary number nines. Alan Shearer, of course. And the ninth doctor, Christopher Eccleston. Is it Christopher or Chris? It's Chris. Is it? Yeah. Christopher, just for work. Why? They'll take you a bit more seriously. You know the middle classes and the Oxbridge lot? With my accent. Right? No, no, no. None of that in this room. Yeah, I know, I know.

3:20We're all council estate. We are. We are. That's all right. I'll relax then. Him? He's council estate. He is, yeah. Micah is, yeah. Gotta be. Oh, proper council estate. I love it. Hey, but look at me now. Netflix, baby.

3:37Alan Shearer:Brilliant. So what a game we just saw. But I mean, in all honesty, the first off was quite drab and the game was slow, but boy, did it kick into life. What a game, Chris. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I feel a bit bad because I always support the underdog, but I didn't want to lose Messi from the World Cup. Yeah. So I feel like I betrayed the underdog there. What an effort that was. I'm with you there. If they were playing any other team, I'd be right behind them, but I just want to watch Messi the last few times at the World Cup. But to be honest, even in defeat, it was a victory for them because to do that kind of performance against the defending champions, not to be beaten in 90 minutes by any team in this tournament, to score two great goals in the second one in particular, to draw after 90 minutes against Argentina, to draw after 90 minutes against Spain.

4:28Alan Shearer:I mean, wow, Micah. It's just absolutely amazing. But I think they had more quality than people actually give them credit for. I know they had a few draws, like you mentioned, but the energy, the quality, when there was the goalkeeper as well, everyone's mentioned throughout the tournament, but his composure on the ball, playing it out, and then having the little triangles, I was so impressed with him. But I knew it was coming for Argentina. I just knew it. I just knew they could always produce that moment of magic, whether it was going to be Messi, whether it was going to be one of the top players at the end.

5:02I felt so bad for them, but we love Messi, don't we? We love Messi, so it was one of those things. It was a great performance. You said it, though. I mean, to not be beaten in the 90 minutes. I didn't realise that. Spain and Argentina. And Uruguay. And also, there's a little pointer here

5:21Alan Shearer:if you look at the qualification because they topped their group ahead of Cameroon and kept them. I mean, that's a decent footballing nation, Cameroon, I know from my own experience. So they had a bit of form coming in, But you couldn't have imagined them doing what they did. And as for the Sidney Lopez Cabral, a name that we'll always remember, what a moment. What a goal, Joe. It was unbelievable, wasn't it? Yeah. When he run up into the stands, I thought he ain't coming back yet. You could see him. I figured, who's he looking for? And he couldn't find his missus. And what I loved about it, the ref just let him have his moment.

5:55Yeah. You know, it was a brilliant, beautiful moment. And let me tell you, he'll be getting paid every four years by FIFA. and they'll be dragging him out and saying he's earned himself a right few quid there. He deserves it. He deserves it.

6:05Alan Shearer:Him and the goalkeeper. Yeah, yeah, both of them. They're changing their lives. Yeah. I mean, yes, they played a low block and they made it very difficult for Argentina, who were a little bit pedestrian and looked a little bit lacking in pace and energy. And maybe the weather, it was 30-odd degrees there in Miami. But they not only had a low block, but they also had a go at times. And even when it was 3-2 down, they went really close a couple of times towards the end. The attitude that they showed in then getting and committing men to get into the box and trying to win it because when Argentina scored we thought yeah that's it, they're done and then they come back to 1-0 and then Argentina score again and you think oh that's it we're all expecting, then they come back again and then even still when they get the third one we're all thinking that's it, goodness me.

6:55Then they keep on going, I mean what a story, it's incredible.

6:58Alan Shearer:It's like there's something about real-life drama in sport, isn't it? I mean you're in that world where it's obviously it's written and scripted but in football sometimes... Football always throws up stuff that if you scripted it, it'd be rejected. I mean the footage of the Capa Verde kids crying. We were looking at that at the end and that little lad. Oh no, that's beautiful. Blessed. The magic of the world. You know, before the tournament started I was slightly worried that the quality might suffer. But forget that. This is the story. This proves that. I think the story that's come out of it is that it's been amazing.

7:39It's been just incredible.

7:40Alan Shearer:Do you think, Micah, that the level of, let's say the smaller nations in football has kind of crept a bit closer to the big footballing nations overall? Yeah. Yeah, I think it's a good point. I think tactics is coming to that. I think weather's played a big part. I think I said before the tournament starts, it's going to be very hard to play end-to-end football. And I think teams now are a lot more disciplined. We use the word low block a lot. But if you get it right and then on the transition, you've got legs and you've got energy, it can work. But I think the gap is definitely getting shorter.

8:23and when there was 48 teams, we were all having a little bit of moan, a little bit of grumble. And, you know, the people were saying the competition is not really going to start to the knockout games. But with Cape Verde, especially with the goalkeeper, when they got that draw against Spain, it was almost like, wow, we didn't expect that. And then everyone had eyes on it. And I just think it's been a fantastic tournament from start to finish. Of course, in the knockout rounds, it's going to get even better. But I think it's been really good right from the start. And you can see that gap. It is definitely getting shorter.

8:54What's going to happen in four years? The effect, the African, the progress that the African teams have made in four years' time. I wonder whether they go 64. They're going to go again.

9:04Alan Shearer:Go 64 team. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I think you said that, was it you that said this? No, it was Harry Maguire said, the start of the tournament, he said, I think it should be 64. And I thought, wow, what are you saying, Harry? That sounds ridiculous. But actually, given the level of the smaller clunge, but also to make it fairer in the group stage, where, you know, 32 teams that finish either first or second go through. We're just going to bring Alex Aljo in. She wasn't at the game, but she was with a lot of Argentinians in Queens. So how was that night? It must have been a bit tense at times, Alex.

9:38Yeah, Gary, you'd be forgiven for thinking we were in a neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, not in Queens, in New York. What a night we have had here. A giant scream behind us here on the street. Argentinian fans singing, dancing, celebrating, fireworks flares at times, although they went through a whole range of emotions. There were also tears. They were also praying because Kate Burden made it so tough for them tonight, didn't they? And Kate Burden can certainly go home with their heads held high. I actually interviewed their manager, Bobista, after that goalless draw against Spain, that first group stage game, and he said to me, we are here to show the world who we are.

10:19We're going to be brave. We're going to be bold. And that's exactly what they did. That Cabral Colasso is going to go down in history, isn't it? And what about Vecina? What a story that is. 40 years old, his first ever World Cup. He says he's been fighting for this moment. He's going to go home with 19 million Instagram followers. I was actually checking his Instagram account during the match and he gained over a million followers just during that match. It is pouring with rain here, but they're still dancing behind me. What a night it's been.

10:52Alan Shearer:And what a pro Alex is, because she just put her earpiece in, so she can now hear my response to that. Well done. Bear with us, Alex. I'm going to bring in the guys. I want to talk to you, Joe, about Messi's goal. I know he's relatively quiet tonight, a chance he missed, but oh my goodness. An appreciation of that skill, please. It's one of them guys, I think as a footballer, it's so difficult to do what he's done there. For the naked eye, it looks good. But it's so impressive because he's had to calculate as the ball's come over the full-back's head, it's about to bounce. And he knows he has to leave it just a metre from his foot.

11:29So to have the wherewithal, to understand where the goalie is, and just take enough off it, and then just as it's there, then roof it into the top. You're like, I just love him. I just absolutely love him. It was so beautiful. Half volley. Half volley.

11:43Alan Shearer:That was a half volley control. Almost in the six-yard box. It was an incredible bit. What was the reaction of the Argentinian fans when he did that, Alex? Messi go lasso. It just erupted here. These fans just in awe. In actual fact, I actually saw a man with tears streaming down his face at that moment as well. There was fireworks. They're in awe of Lionel Messi, aren't they? Argentinians all over the world. Yeah, 20 World Cup goals. Do we agree that's a half-volley then, Gaz? That is a half-holly, isn't it? The control was a half-holly, Mike. Oh, my God. This is nonsense. And then it was a shot.

12:23Alan Shearer:Yeah. He controlled it as it ball bounced. Can you switch it off? The goal itself was finished. Control it on the bounce. I mean, we've got another one on our side in Chris here. I know nothing about football. I'd support Man United. Were the fans... I'd be interested to know, because we know what we're like as England fans. And I'm sure fans around the world are the same, Alex, that when you're watching your own team and they're not playing particularly well and Argentina weren't playing anything like at their best in this game. And if it were England, we'd be going, oh, this is terrible. Were they frustrated?

12:59Alan Shearer:Were they wondering what the hell was going on? I think as England fans, we're sort of ready for the disappointment, aren't we? We expect it and we're like, oh, here we go again kind of thing. Whereas with these Argentinians, they were sort of in shock. You know, they were just sort of looking at the screen, not speaking, not talking. None of them left. I feel like England fans sometimes just would walk out and leave the pub or wherever they were watching. Here we go again. But no, they all stood there believing for sure. Alex, we're going to let you go. I hope you're going out with the Argentinians now.

13:31Absolutely, absolutely. Vamos. Vamos, vamos.

13:37Alan Shearer:Yeah, while we're on the subject of Messi, he took the corner, obviously, for the winning goal and it was headed in by Romero. And then it was for some inexplicable reason given as an own goal to Borges. It flicked off his hand, it might not be. I don't know why they needed to do that. All you're doing is ruining a Romero's moment to a degree. But Borges has now scored the own goal in the game and it wasn't necessary. And also, actually, the other interesting thing is that Messi took the corner. That would have been nine assists in World Cup history, which would have taken him above Maradona, who's on eight.

14:17Well, Gaz, you keep talking about the law, though, don't you? If the header's going wide and it comes off someone, then it's an own goal, isn't it? You're trying to get Messi another assist. I don't know how you can measure that, Michael.

14:31Alan Shearer:I don't know how you measure that when he's that close and he heads it and hits his hand. of, like, it would have been a penalty if it hadn't gone in. I would have understood. Micah, have you heard about Gaz's layoff record? He's got the layoff record, 41. Oh, we're not getting that again. That's the only one he's got left, and we're waiting for Messi to break that. We're counting layoffs now. I've got my little notebook, and that's 27. I'm telling you now, you don't need to do layoffs when you can play. When you shit, all you need to do is layoff to someone else to do the magic, and that's the secret so Messi doesn't get the he doesn't get no I think under the way I mean now he would have done in times gone by of course but it's now it's all data and all programmed I mean I don't think anyone would have batted an eyelid if they'd be just given the goal to Romero would they certainly not Argentina's are they lacking they're lacking something they don't look as strong as I mean do you know what they lack I think they lack a little bit of pace and I think that's that may cost them.

15:34Clearly, you can never, whilst he's in the team and playing Messi, then you've got to give them a chance. But I just think at times, they just lack that bit of sharpness. Alvarez, when he comes on, I think he gives them more energy, more legs. But apart from, Al's right, apart from that, when you compare them with a pace that the French have got, or even us, I think they're going to struggle as the game opens up. But they've got an announce and that counts for something. They seem to know how to win in difficult situations.

16:06Alan Shearer:One final word on Cape Verde. They were the third smallest, actually the smallest nation ever to get to the knockouts. The third smallest to actually be in the competition. I mean, they can go home as like kings in their country, can't they? And I think in football, you either win or you lose. But I actually think in defeat, they have won, Chris. I mean, obviously they're not going to win a tournament, but to do what they've done is truly incredible. If I was playing for that team, I'd feel patronised by that. I'd still... I totally get that as well. But let's be realistic. They're going to be gutted.

16:44Yeah. Oh, they'll be gutted? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, they'll be gutted now.

16:49Alan Shearer:Yeah. But as time passes and they realise what they've done, because there's 48 teams in this World Cup, only one team can win it. So that means 47 teams can't be disappointed. No. Cape Verde have got to be, like, it's got to be one of the stories. They're champions as far as I'm concerned, because you can't compete with France. I'm going to be supporting them in four years' time. Let's talk about Peyronie's disease, or PD. It's not widely talked about, and some men may feel reluctant to bring it up, but it's more common than you'd think. PD can happen when scar tissue builds up under the skin of the penis, causing a curve or the bump during an erection that, for some men, may lead to pain during intimacy and impact mental health.

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18:40Alan Shearer:Well, the countdown is on to England versus Mexico in the round of 16, and the anticipation in camp is building. The two players playing for the left-hand side, Gordon and Rashford, what's it like when you think you're competing with someone for a place you've talked about it before but they're obviously close mates and they wanted and actually they could end up being a similar thing at Barcelona bizarrely but it's difficult Gaz it's like I think it's modern football now it's his 16th I think in your day there was less subs weren't there and it was like you was in so now there's every manager makes five subs and you know I think with Marcus I think it might actually be easier for Marcus and Anthony Gordon because I think Thomas Tuchel's been clear it's going to be 60 minutes and 30 minutes.

19:22And Jose did that, was the first one to start rotating when was at Chelsea. It was me, Robin, Duff, Sean Wright, Phillips. It bred like anxiety, but also like a real intent. Like you had to make something happen within the 60 minutes because you know if you didn't, you're off. And you're off. And even if you was on fire, you might only stay on for 70, 75. But it breeds competition. And it's healthy. And I think these boys are used to it now. Is it a bit like Chris,

19:49Alan Shearer:like when perhaps two or three of you going for an audition for a big part and you want them to do badly and stuff like that. You want them to do as bad as possible. I mean, I'm odd because I've never really, I've never been somebody who's thought, oh, I could do that better. I've not been like that, but yeah, it's intense. And you know, you see them coming out. In my day, it's changed now because it's all, auditions are taped now. but in my day you went to the building and you'd see your rival walking out. Yeah. Listening to the activity in the hotels and the noise and all that. Do not be surprised if we read over the next couple of days when England arrive about fire alarms going off in the hotel.

20:30We've all had it, haven't we? It was ever thus, wasn't it?