Cape Verde scored its first goal in World Cup history Sunday, taking a 1-0 lead over Uruguay on a free kick from Kevin Pina in the 21st minute in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The moment came one week after Cape Verde held tournament favorite Spain scoreless in a 0-0 draw in Atlanta, a result that quickly made the tiny island nation one of the biggest stories of the tournament.
According to the Associated Press, after Uruguay's Rodrigo Bentancur received a yellow card, Pina blasted a shot past diving goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Cape Verde fans in the stadium erupted, and Pina's teammates piled on him in celebration.
The goalkeeper from that opening draw, known as Vozinha, became one of the tournament's most talked-about players after stopping Spain's attack for 90 minutes. He returned in goal Sunday, this time with his mother in the stands. In the aftermath of the Spain match, he had celebrated the historic performance without her present.
Cape Verde is competing in its first-ever World Cup this year. The team's run through the group stage has drawn attention from fans and analysts who had not expected the island nation to be competitive against top-ranked opponents.
The match against Uruguay continued in a Group H that had already produced surprises in the opening round.
