世界杯大冷门：佛得角零比零逼平西班牙

Today let's talk about a match that surprised a lot of people.

This match was Spain against Cape Verde.

First the result: the two teams drew, zero to zero.

Zero to zero means neither team scored.

Why do I say this result was surprising?

Because the two teams are very different.

Spain are a very strong team in the world.

They just won the European title, and their players are all excellent.

The whole world knows Spain, and many people love them.

Cape Verde are a very small place.

Cape Verde is a very small island, with very few people.

This was Cape Verde's first time at a World Cup.

Just reaching the World Cup was already not easy for them.

So before the match, everyone thought Spain would win.

And many people thought Spain would win by a lot.

People thought: Spain are so strong, they'll surely score several goals.

But once the match started, it was completely different.

From the start, Spain kept attacking.

They passed the ball around, pushing forward again and again.

Spain tried many times to put the ball in.

But every time, they didn't succeed.

Why?

Because Cape Verde defended too well.

Cape Verde's players all dropped back in front of their own goal.

One next to another, together they blocked Spain's shots.

The moment Spain shot, they threw their bodies in the way.

Even more impressive was Cape Verde's goalkeeper.

Spain shot at goal many times, with difficult balls.

But their goalkeeper saved them one by one, time after time.

His performance today was really outstanding.

Several of the balls he saved were both fast and difficult.

Every time he made a save, the fans shouted for him.

Many people said this goalkeeper was the best player in the match.

The more Spain played, the more anxious they got, but still couldn't score.

They had over twenty shots at goal in all.

Over twenty, yet not a single goal.

At a World Cup, that's very rare.

As for Cape Verde, they didn't attack much.

What they most wanted to do was guard their own goal first.

And so, right to the end, neither team scored.

The match finished zero to zero.

Each team got one point.

For Spain, this result is a real pity.

As such a strong team, they of course wanted to win.

Shooting so many times yet scoring none, they must be very disappointed.

But for Cape Verde, this one point is so precious.

To draw with a strong team like Spain is a big deal.

For a small place at its first World Cup, it's even more remarkable.

After the match, Cape Verde's players were overjoyed.

They hugged each other, as if they'd won.

The Cape Verde fans in the stands were also shouting with excitement.

For them, this zero to zero is more precious than many wins.

After the match, the whole world was talking about Cape Verde.

Some said it was one of the biggest upsets of this World Cup so far.

Others said Cape Verde's defending was truly admirable.

Of course, some were worried for Spain too.

They said Spain played so much yet couldn't score — they'd better be careful.

Actually, this is what's interesting about football.

It's not that the strong team is sure to win.

Sometimes, defending well and battling hard, a weaker team can hold off a strong one.

Cape Verde are a great example.

They made the whole world remember this little place.

Many people didn't even know where Cape Verde was.

After watching this match, everyone got to know them.

They may not score many goals, but they defend very well.

This match also tells us the World Cup is getting harder to predict.

Strong teams can no longer win easily, and any match can spring a surprise.

For people who love watching football, a match like this is the most interesting.

You never know what the final result will be.

Alright, that's the Spain–Cape Verde match.

A zero to zero, yet more thrilling than many big wins.

This is a match Cape Verde will remember forever.

A story like this is one of the best things about the World Cup.

Thanks for listening — see you next time.