Argentina’s penalty shoot-out win was captured by a controversial man with controversial behavior on the pitch. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez did everything to stop the French striker. And he succeeded.
Martínez is not afraid of controversy. After picking up Kinsley Coman in the final shootout, he also dispatched youngster Aurélien Tchouaméni.
As the 22-year-old midfielder moved away from the center circle, the Argentine goalkeeper kept the ball in his hand. Instead of passing it to the Frenchman, he threw the ball behind him so that Tchouaméni had to come back. The tactic worked for him. The penalty went wide of goal and Martínez was able to celebrate happily in goal.
Thus he became one of the heroes of the Argentine selection on the way to the title of world champion. The 30-year-old Aston Villa player saved the South Americans on penalties in the quarter-finals with the Netherlands and Sunday’s final with France and became the best goalkeeper of the tournament in Qatar.
He celebrated receiving the award with an obscene gesture. “I did it because the French booed me,” she explained. Likewise, you celebrated winning the same award at the Copa América.
At the same time, he only made his debut for the national team last June, and for a long time he could not establish himself even at the club level.
“I am speechless. With this trophy I have achieved everything I have ever dreamed of in football,” Martínez wept after the emotional final in Doha.
The reigning South American champions lost a 2-0 lead against the defending champions and a 3-2 lead in extra time, but won 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw. Not even the hat-trick of the top scorer of the tournament, Kylian Mbappé, helped the French, instead, the best player in the league, Lionel Messi, scored twice.
“We endured our way to victory. We were in control of the game, but France needed two shots to equalise. They were awarded a second penalty in extra time, but thank God we made it,” Martínez exulted.
At the same time, the penalty shootout absolutely did not have to take place. In a crazy overtime, both teams had plenty of deciding chances.
Randal Kolo Muani found himself in front at the end of the stipulated time, but Martínez kept his side in the game with a great save. On penalties he allowed only two attempts out of four and, after Gonzalo Montiel’s winning penalty, the Argentines were able to celebrate their third world title in history, the first since 1986.
“I kept my composure during the shootout. Everything went as I imagined,” cheered Martínez, who also watched the shoot-out in last year’s Copa América semi-final against Colombia.
The Colombians then complained that before taking the penalty he tried to throw them as far as possible and even cursed at them.
In Qatar, too, he helped himself with wild movements on the line, but tried to throw the shooter even before the penalty itself. Either verbally or by throwing the ball.
Martínez, nicknamed “Dibu”, has crowned a dream year and a half at the World Cup. Since his debut in the national team, he has won three trophies with Argentina: in addition to the world and South American championships, he also won the Finalissimo match against European champions Italy.
Even two years ago it seemed that the Mar del Plata native would not really break through in his career. At seventeen he moved from Independiente to Arsenal in London and has remained in the British Isles ever since.
However, the years passed and Martínez did not catch on and did not catch on. Year after year, he toured the lower English leagues on loan. Oxford, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham, Wolverhampton, Reading, meanwhile a spell at Getafe in Spain.
It didn’t become a permanent number one anywhere.
Everything changed two years ago with his move to Aston Villa, who surprisingly bought him from Arsenal for a good 17.4 million pounds (about 470 million crowns).
There he immediately became a pillar and with his performances he also won a place in the national team. “I went to England very young. This victory belongs to my whole family, for all the support,” added an emotional Martínez.
Even for Aston Villa he has already made himself known in regards to penalties. When the Villains beat Manchester United at Old Trafford, he contributed to a stunning win by asking Cristiano Ronaldo to take a penalty before Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty. Fernandes was so agitated that he passed the shot.
