Five key moments that helped Argentina survive thrilling extra-time upset bid by mega-underdog Cape Verde

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Five key moments that helped Argentina survive thrilling extra-time upset bid by mega-underdog Cape Verde originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Friday's thriller between Argentina and Cape Verde might be remembered more for the Blue Sharks' remarkable effort than the reigning champions' win, but the team with a chance to still win the World Cup is the one leaving Hard Rock Stadium happy.

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Argentina needed some clutch moments to survive Cape Verde's upset bid, and the key plays that made Friday's win possible go beyond just the squad's three goals.

From impressive saves to brilliant passes, Argentina was able to move one win closer to a repeat championship.

Here's a look at five key moments that made Argentina's win possible.

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Five key moments that helped Argentina hold off Cape Verde

Lionel Messi corner kick leads to go-ahead own goal

Messi scored only one of Argentina's three goals, but a terrific corner kick is what propelled Argentina to its third and final lead of the match:

The kick quickly gave way to what was initially ruled a goal by Cristian Romero, but replay revealed it was an own goal made possible by Messi's placement.

MORE:Lionel Messi's stats from win over Cape Verde

Emi Martinez's clutch save on Sidny Lopes Cabral

Cape Verde struggled to generate opportunities early in this game, but there were plenty of chances for the Blue Sharks late. On the attack after falling behind 3-2, Sidny Lopes Cabral nearly had another long-range goal until Emi Martinez just got a hand on it and deflected it above the crossbar.

The save only temporarily kept Cape Verde at bay, as they came on the attack again minutes later.

Emi Martinez's clutch save in final minutes

The last great opportunity for Cape Verde came in the 119th minute, when Martinez somehow handled this header:

Another Cape Verde player was in the area to potentially kick it in, but he missed what would've been a circus kick and let Martinez finally breathe easy for a moment.

MORE:Why FIFA flip-flopped on changing England-Mexico kickoff time

Lisandro Martinez go-ahead goal

Many thought the game was over when Lisandro Martinez put Argentina back in front two minutes into extra time. Cape Verde would get one back, but this strike from Martinez was just as crucial as any other goal in a game that took all Argentina had:

Game-ending block

Cape Verde has one last possession to make something happen before the final whistle, but this block prevented a centering pass and brought about the end of the match:

What might have happened if Cape Verde got the ball near the goal is anyone's guess, but after the pressure the Blue Sharks put on Martinez, Argentina was thrilled to see it end without another opportunity.

Cape Verde FIFA rank vs Argentina FIFA rank

Cape Verde entered Friday's match ranked 67th in the FIFA World Rankings, while Argentina is ranked first.

France is considered by many to be the favorite to win the World Cup, but few doubted Argentina's ability to go back-to-back before Friday. Cape Verde, on the other hand, was already punching above its weight just by qualifying for the 48-team World Cup.

Argentina pulled out the win, but Cape Verde's effort at the World Cup will go down as one of the sport's greatest underdog stories after pushing the reigning champions to the brink.

Cape Verde population vs Argentina population

Cape Verde has a population of nearly 530,000, making them the smallest nation to ever advance to the knockout stage at the World Cup.

Argentina, meanwhile, is home to about 46.7 million, more than 88 times Cape Verde's population.

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