After Cape Verde qualified for the knockout stages of the World Cup, the night of celebration was endless in the Boston suburb of Brockton. Approximately 5,000 kilometers from Praia, the capital of the African archipelago, the area has about 20,000 residents of Cape Verdean descent.
“We call it the eleventh island of Cape Verde,” says Tatiana Moniz, a member of the Cape Verdean Association in Brockton. “Except for the palm trees and the beaches, it’s like our islands, the restaurants, the culture, everything. You see Cape Verdeans everywhere and we’re a tight-knit community,” she says.
Most streets had watch parties for all the games. It was held at the Campanelli Stadium, the baseball ground for the Saudi Arabia match.
“From the first game, we all saw each moment. We weren’t thinking about beating the big teams or qualifying for the playoffs. We were happy to see them, celebrating them. We always believed in the team and knew they could do miracles. It means a lot to our community,” says Moniz.
Joshua Carvalho, who works at a restaurant called Sodade (which literally means nostalgia and homesickness), doesn’t need to explain to outsiders where Cape Verde is, sometimes “what”.
“A lot of people ask me where it is. Most people think it’s part of the Caribbean islands. I have to show it on a map and explain it. Now I don’t have to. Everyone knows where it is and everyone seems to like our story. The wishes are pouring in, and I’ve never been prouder,” he says.
Cape Verdean supporters celebrate their team’s opening goal during a World Cup Group H match against Uruguay at a restaurant in the Cape Verdean community of Brockton, Mass., near Boston. (AP)
Brockton also has strong ties to the team. Kevin Pina, the country’s first World Cup goal-scorer, was born in Cape Verde but moved to Brockton, New England’s first black-majority town, as a child.
Story continues below this ad
“I remember him. He was struggling to get a chance here. Ours is not a football town. We love boxing,” says Carvalho. Brockton was home to legendary boxer Rocky Marciano, although he was of Italian descent.
Pina’s dream was dashed when former Cape Verde captain Carlos Morais traveled to Brockton to visit his relatives. He gave Pina a chance to play club games. The next day, he went to Pina’s house and convinced his parents to take him to Portugal, where he was coaching.
“I hope he will visit us after the World Cup. We have a World Cup hero in our town,” Carvalho says, hoping he can host them all in a restaurant and make some mouth-watering dishes.
Story continues below this ad
Pride and recognition
They also have other heroes. Goalkeeper Vozinha tops the list.
“It’s become my favorite,” says Moniz. “We now have many new heroes on our little island and we can build this culture.”
She repeats what has become the rallying cry of Cape Verdeans. “They gave us a 1 percent chance, but we gave 99 percent faith.”
Brockton and Cape Verde have a connection that dates back to before the American Civil War, when Yankee whalers recruited young Africans from Cape Verde into their crews. For Cape Verdeans, whaling was a ticket through the uninhabited volcanic islands where drought and starvation were a regular occurrence. The character Dagu in Herman Melville Moby Dick is from the Cape Verdean island of the Azores.
Story continues below this ad
The Scattered Islands, then part of greater West Africa, had an American consul in the early nineteenth century.
“I’ve heard that until the 1960s, there were sailors sailing schooners to Cape Verde.”
Carlos’ favorite captain is Ryan Mendes. “He’s a fighter, a leader,” he says.
Miles away, at the Cape Verde Museum in Rhode Island, a curator obtained a shirt signed by all the team members and preserved it in a prominent showcase.
Story continues below this ad
| How a coach who watched Maradona on village TV led Cape Verde to the knockout stages
“This is one of the most exciting times in Cape Verde’s history, and we’ve had some very exciting times,” said director Joe Damora. The Boston Globe. The results did not surprise him. “This is another testament to our history of resilience and resilience. It comes with our history of living on hope.”
Argentina’s match is three days away, and Carvalho says he has never felt time so slow.
“This will be the biggest party Brockton has ever seen. Is it a dream, Messi and our boys?” he asks.
Story continues below this ad
Their only fear is that the party will choke and people will start fighting.
“I think a few people were shot after the Uruguay game. But whether we win or lose, we will celebrate,” he says.
A victory? “We’re going to have an earthquake here!”