2,500 passes since Spain's last World Cup goal - key stats as Cape Verde earn point

Article excerpt

Spain's World Cup campaign hit an unexpected snag when Cape Verde, playing in their first-ever World Cup, held the Spanish juggernaut to a scoreless draw in Atlanta. The stat that crystallized Spain's offensive struggles: 2,500 consecutive passes without finding the back of the net in World Cup play. Cape Verde's veteran goalkeeper Vozinha delivered a performance that kept the tournament's expected powerhouse at bay, securing an improbable point for the debutant nation in a result that defied the usual script of World Cup mismatches.