The 42 reports from Atlanta
CARLOS LOPES PHONES home to Cape Verde to speak to his 99-year-old father, Telley, every Sunday before lunch.
That’s the routine that has worked for as long as he established himself in Dublin with his wife, Judy.
This week has warranted an exception.
Their son – Telley’s grandson – Pico, was as at the beating of heart of one of the World Cup’s greatest underdog stories as Cape Verde earned a valiant 0-0 draw with Spain.
“I will talk to him tomorrow (Tuesday). He’ll be very excited [now],” Carlos says.
“He’s really able to talk too. I don’t know if you heard the interview [recently]. It was in Portuguese, but the length of it. He didn’t shy away from it at all. For a man of his age, he’s incredible,” Judy adds.
Now Carlos says that the family are looking forward to a double celebration by taking in Pico’s World Cup heroics and returning to Sao Nicolaou next year to mark Telley’s 100th birthday.
Telley still works his farm on Sao Nicolaou, one of the 10 islands that make up Cape Verde, and was in front of the TV for Monday’s game.
“He watches every single match Cape Verde play,” Carlos says.
He is sitting on a couch in a downtown hotel in Atlanta just a few hours after Monday’s famous result. He walked from the stadium, through the jubilant crowds of his compatriots, and needed to have a rest.
The 20-minute walk was more draining than almost 100 minutes of action on the pitch.
“[I’m] calm and cool,” Carlos says.
“He’s the coolest man on earth, I’m telling you. He doesn’t even get up out of the seat,” Judy adds.
“A lot of people say to me, ‘this is going to be a difficult match’. I always say, ‘football is 90 minutes, and wait until the referee blows the whistle. Then we decide who wins it’.
And today was a big, proud day for all the family and the whole Cape Verdean country,” Carlos continues.
“It is a history that will remain forever. By now, the names will be there [forever]. That was Pico’s dream for a long time. Now he’s going to have a dream, playing in the World Cup.
He did very well. I see a lot of reports from friends and from everywhere about him. They’re all talking about Pico, what he did.”
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Judy needed a cup of tea when she got back to the hotel. “It feels like an out-of-body experience,” she says.
“I was in there, I was in the moment and I wasn’t, if you know what I mean. It’s like when you’re, let’s say, hosting a wedding, which we’ve done for Pico, and you’re there, you’re taking part, but it’s when it’s all over it comes back to you.
“It’s wonderful to have one of our own. Being from Ireland, taking part and getting the country behind him. Representing both Ireland and Cape Verde. It’s wonderful. It’s what sport is all about.”
Jacques, Pico’s younger brother, also needs to figure out a way of ensuring he can get more time off work to stay on for Cape Verde’s second game with Uruguay in Miami this Sunday, 21 June.
He is due to fly back on Tuesday, while the eldest Lopes brother, Cristover, was already on a plane to Ireland just a few hours after full-time along with a group of Pico’s best friends – including former Bohemians captain and current Dundalk midfielder Keith Buckley.
“Seeing all the Cape Verdeans, they’re such a proud nation, so there’s a lot of them singing the songs, banging the drums, wearing the jerseys and that’s what it’s all about,” Jacques says.
“You do have a lot of Cape Verdeans who are born outside of Cape Verde so a lot of them would know each other overseas so when they come here to meet up it’s just like a big gathering. It’s great because a couple of them are singing ‘Ole, Ole, Ole’. And you feel like at home in a sense.”
Judy adds: “They’re great fun. They know how to party, as you probably gather, you know, and create an atmosphere which really helped. You could hear them in the stadium, you know, just getting behind the team… Having said that, the Spanish behind us were very quiet towards the end. They weren’t too happy.”
Jacques laughs, citing the number of Spain fans who came dressed for the occasion. “Even though we were outnumbered. I think we won a few people over today.
“I think a lot of neutrals today picked the wrong team. They went with Spain, they had Lamine Yamal on the back of the jersey, but they should have had Pico.”
As well as the Rovers players, Pico also FaceTimed his parents and Jacques from the Cape Verde dressing room at full-time.
“He is professional, he looks after his own game. He doesn’t get flustered or it doesn’t matter who the opponent is. I wouldn’t make a good footballer because all of that would get to my head.”
It’s full speed ahead to Miami for Carlos and Judy, and the remainder of the group stage, although she will have to return to work as a secretary in Loreto College in Crumlin after calling in favours to get the time off.
“I was lucky enough to get two weeks off, in the busiest time of the year. I was lucky enough to get a job-sharing partner, she’s holding the fort until I return and I’ll pay her back for the first two weeks of July.”
No such worries for Carlos “I am retired. I’m in no rush to go home. Nice weather and some rain to cool you down.”
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Written by David Sneyd and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.