Scaloni: Everyone Thought It Would Be a Walk in the Park for Argentina

National team coach Lionel Scaloni admitted it would have been "madness" for his squad to be eliminated by Cape Verde, after the world champions snatched a dramatic 3-2 victory in extra time to secure their place in the World Cup Round of 16. La Albiceleste needed a goal in the second period of extra time to overcome the African side, having twice squandered their lead in the grueling encounter.

"It was an incredibly tough match. You always have to take the positives. This team never gives up," the coach stated after the final whistle.

The Argentina coach also praised Cape Verde's performance: "We must congratulate our opponents. When people say there are no easy opponents, they proved today that they are a great team. I am proud of everyone's contribution. We finished absolutely exhausted because they gave their all."

Asked about the possibility of a loss and elimination on the day he led Argentina for the 100th time, Scaloni acknowledged how close his team came to a shocking exit: "It would have been madness to lose, but that's football."

"Still, we deserved to win and advance, but it was an extremely difficult match. The players were completely exhausted at the end of the game. There are areas to improve, but they showed resilience. The players are tired because of extra time – that's too many minutes and they got some cramps, but when they play with their heart, then you can overcome anything. The team showed its character and worth today."

"I just wanted the match to end. You saw the incredible goal they scored. I'm always cautious. I was calmer than I appeared. Everyone thought it would be a walk in the park, but I knew it wouldn't be," Scaloni said.

Asked if the pressure of being the favorites weighed on the "Gauchos," the Argentine responded: "No. The best thing about this team is that it never gives up. The lads keep attacking and are completely inspired. I think we handled the challenge. The pitch was strange – the ball didn't react as we're used to, it wasn't ideal at all."

For Lionel Scaloni, the match was a perfect embodiment of Argentine football.

"What does it mean to be Argentine? To suffer. Cape Verde gave 200 percent, and in football, that evens the playing field. The fans are the first to understand that this is Argentina and nothing is easy for us. There's something special about this squad. We will move forward, and there's no way we won't come out stronger after this and continue our journey," added the Argentine specialist, as quoted by BTA.