By Gerardo Romero
05 Jul 2024, 08:20 AM EDT
The Argentina national team achieved a hard-fought qualification to the semi-finals of the 2024 Copa América thanks to a superb performance by goalkeeper Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martínez in the penalty shootout after the draw recorded in the 90th minute against the Ecuadorian national team, proving once again to be a winner when it came to blocking shots from the 12 steps.
After the match ended at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, the goalkeeper of the albiceleste was very grateful and excited about the victory during a statement given to TyC Sports; in his words, he said that he was “not ready to go home” and for this reason he tried to stop as many penalties as possible from the Ecuadorians.
“They made things very difficult for us, we couldn’t play very well, they played a great game, very physical, we knew we had to get through this, we knew they were going to be one of the toughest rivals in the Cup. Unfortunately, they tied the game in the last minute, we missed the first penalty and everything went downhill for us. I told the boys that I wasn’t ready to go home,” said Martinez.
The pressure to defend the victory was on Dibu Martínez after Lionel Messi missed the first shot of the shootout; after this the Argentine goalkeeper managed to stop the penalties of Ángel Mena and Alan Minda to take the lead in this decisive part of the match.
“I get a bit carried away by the crowd, I had a lot of Argentines here, my family nearby, these are special moments. I work for this. I throw myself 500 times a day in training. I always stay well and try to be at my best for this team. The country deserves it, the people who spend their money to come and see us. I miss the voice of emotion, also of shouting. I am proud, I want to continue growing as a goalkeeper and as a person,” he concluded.
Dibu Martínez’s performance demonstrates the great ability he has for these kinds of moments, as he has won all of the four penalty shootouts he has taken part in with the Argentina national team; of the 18 shots he has received to date, he has been awarded nine, he has blocked eight and one has gone wide.
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