Note: This story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports, our daily newsletter on all things World Cup. To subscribe, click here.
Wow.
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Wow! If you missed last night’s match between Argentina and Cape Verde, go right now and watch the entire thing on demand or, at the very least, watch the extended highlights because that was for the ages.
The game was Exhibit A of why soccer is the greatest sport in the world (in most people’s opinions around the world, including mine and Ben’s): storylines aplenty, superstars performing, heroes rising up, rollercoaster emotions, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Through it all, on a night facing the defending world champion with arguably the greatest player ever on its roster, the Blue Sharks showed the world that they belonged and made an entire continent proud by taking mighty Argentina down to the wire.
The Beautiful Game isn’t just the name of this newsletter, it’s what soccer is. Popularized by the great Pelé, who called it “Jogo Bonito,” last night’s events in Miami perfectly encapsulated what it’s all about and why the World Cup is so magical. But as we are all so eminently aware, time marches on, turning fairytale journeys into heartbreaking “almosts” and finally into legendary stories to be passed on to new generations.
