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ATLANTA ― He did it for his country. He did it for himself. But mostly, he did it for his mother and grandparents.Vozinha waited a long time for this moment. He worked for decades. He's 40 years old. And he just led his country, Cape Verde, to an improbable and once thought impossible result. Cape Verde, the third smallest country to ever qualify for the World Cup, held favorite Spain to a scoreless draw in front of an announced 67,640 people at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.For Cape Verde, the match meant so much more than its result. It brought global attention to a nation that made its World Cup debut. It also put a spotlight on its goalkeeper, who openly wept when the whistle blew."I cry because I (grew) up with my grandparents, and unfortunately, they are not here. They died a few years before, and they (were) everything, everything for me," Vozinha told reporters after the match. "And also because (of) my mom. She didn't manage to be here because ... of the money we have to pay for the visa. We didn't manage on time. I would like (for her) to be here, but I'm very happy also, and I'm very happy for all the Cabo Verdeans."Vozinha gained more than two million followers on Instagram following his performance. When he arrived at postgame media interviews, his eyes were still red from crying as he held his player of the match trophy."He was overwhelmed with emotion," Cape Verde coach Bubista said. "He’s quite an experienced player and struggled throughout all these years to be here on this world stage. It was also a cry of resilience."Cape Verde is No. 67 in FIFA's World Cup rankings. Spain is ranked No. 2. Yet, on Monday, what was once a proverbial David and Goliath story turned into an even playing field.Spain, a World Cup favorite, had 27 attempts on goal, but just seven of them were on target. Every time Spain thought it was close to finding relief in its defensive battle with Cape Verde, there was a one-man yellow wall waiting on the other side.Vozinha's heroic seven saves were the second-most by a goalkeeper age 40 or older in a single World Cup match since 1966."Very proud. For me, it's an honor to represent my country. We do this with passion, with love because we are from (a) very small country," a humble Vozinha said postmatch. "Today, a dream come true (to) compete against Spain."We are very, very happy. Very proud of all of the players, all of the people from Cabo Verde."For more than ninety minutes, Spain struggled to score. Ball after ball either went wide or was suddenly stopped in its tracks. Why did Spain struggle so much with Cape Verde? Vonzinha and an army of willing players who would not relent.Spain head coach Luis de La Fuente warned it would not be easy for his club against Cape Verde. He said pregame that The Blue Sharks played very well tactically and that they were a very well-structured team. He admitted that even if Spain won, it would be a struggle."We (knew) of how difficult this game was going to be," de la Fuente said. "We mentioned this before the match; it's (a) team playing in a very, very low block, defending deep."Spain now moves on to play Saudi Arabia in a must-win game at noon ET Sunday in Atlanta. Cape Verde faces a tough Uruguay team at 6 p.m. Sunday in Miami, and hopes to bring the same grit and determination they did to silence the reigning European champion."Of course, we already had a lot of confidence before, but, of course, this is a game that you have to survive, and I think we did well," Cape Verde midfielder Laros Duarte said. "So now we have an even better feeling, but like I said, we stayed calm, and we just continue the things that we practice. Now it's time to show it in the next two games. We have a good feeling."
