Spain was held to a 0-0 draw by debutants Cape Verde in their World Cup opener in Atlanta on Monday. Despite Spain entering the match ranked third in the FIFA world rankings and dominating nearly every statistical category, they were unable to break through Cape Verde’s defense. Spain outshot Cape Verde 27-6, recorded 7 shots on goal to Cape Verde’s one, earned 11 corners to Cape Verde’s one, and held 74% of the ball possession. Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha made seven official saves to preserve the tie. According to NBC News, Vozinha, whose nickname translates to “voice,” has played professionally in Angola, Moldova, Cyprus, Slovakia, and Portugal. A notable sequence occurred in the 39th minute when Ferran Torres kicked the ball off the crossbar following a pass down the left side; Vozinha then leaped to push Mikel Oyarzabal’s rebound out of play. Shortly before half-time, Vozinha also deflected an Aymeric Laporte header from a corner kick away with his fingertips. Spain’s performance was characterized by a slow tempo and an inability to convert possession into goals. Lamine Yamal started on the bench while recovering from a hamstring injury and was introduced in the second half, where he provided an opening for Mikel Merino and began a move resulting in an Oyarzabal effort that was deflected over. Nico Williams, who had an injury-disrupted season at Athletic Bilbao, did not enter the match until the 87th minute. Al Jazeera noted that the match took place in an air-conditioned stadium, and fans booed during a mid-half hydration break due to the slow pace. Cape Verde nearly scored in the final minute of the match when Diney Borges planted a header too close to Unai Simon. Following the result, fans gathered outside the stadium to celebrate the nation’s first World Cup point. Spain is scheduled to face Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday, while Cape Verde will next face Uruguay in Miami.