In the World Cup group stage match, Cape Verde drew 0-0 with Spain. After the match, Cape Verde's brothers Deroy Duarte and Laros Duarte were interviewed by ESPN.
The brothers, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, discussed how the team defended Yamal.
Deroy Duarte said: "You could hear all the fans cheering, and you could feel from Yamal's aura that a top star was about to come on. But the moment he touched the ball for the first time, our left-back and left-winger rushed towards him. We knew he wouldn't be able to do anything today."
In fact, even with Barcelona star Yamal coming on as a substitute in the final 20 minutes, he couldn't bring a breakthrough for the European powerhouse. The Cape Verde team, nicknamed "Blue Sharks," maintained an extremely tight defensive structure, making it unusually difficult for Spain's attackers to score throughout the entire 90 minutes.
"Brothers united" on the World Cup stage
For Laros and Deroy, the 0-0 draw was an emotional family milestone. Laros started the match and was substituted by his brother after an hour, a substitution that brought mixed emotions, but ultimately pride.
Laros Duarte said: "It's a bit crazy, ideally you want to be on the field with your brother, but we give everything for each other. From the moment I came off, I became a spectator, and then the tension really started. On the field, you don't really realize it. When the final whistle blew, it was a party."
The importance of the result was written on the faces of everyone in the stands, including the brothers' parents. The Duarte brothers said: "We saw our parents cry, that feeling is indescribable, it's something you dream of."
The moving scene also reflected the situation of veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, who completed his 90th national team appearance in this draw, clearly emotional.
Unafraid of the best in the world, but remaining clear-headed
Despite their confidence, the Duarte brothers immediately acknowledged the immense strength of the Spanish squad. Facing players like Rodri and Pedri gave them firsthand experience of what it means to be at the pinnacle of the sport.
The brothers frankly admitted: "When the opponent completes a perfect turn or delivers a very incisive pass, you really marvel in your heart – this is truly world-class performance."
However, after witnessing another underdog, Curaçao, suffer a devastating 1-7 defeat to Germany the night before, this "underdog" mentality was sharpened even further.
Laros Duarte explained: "You suddenly realize that Curaçao's crushing defeat could also be our fate. But when we stepped onto the field, we instantly entered a state of extreme focus. I looked at the clock on the big screen and saw that 20 minutes had already been played, and we were in a very good position. From that moment on, I knew that today we could really get points here."