On July 5, 2009, Vélez was topped champion of the Argentine Soccer Clausura match. At the moment, a 21-year-old boy named Nicolás Otamendi celebrated his first title as a footballer with the jersey of the fortín, the membership the place he educated as knowledgeable after which debuted within the first division. 15 years after that celebration, the Argentine defender celebrated once more after changing the penalty with which Argentina beat Ecuador and ended up reaching the semifinals of the Copa América.
As we speak, at 36 years outdated, Otamendi will as soon as once more dream of that everlasting pilgrimage the place he noticed himself lifting trophies at La Scaloneta and which led him to grow to be World Champion. For sure, July fifth of that yr 2009, when Vélez beat Huracán and was topped champion, and this July fifth, with the penalty transformed in Houston that introduced reduction, are dates that the Gladiator is not going to neglect.
After Messi had kicked off the penalty shootout with a missed shot that crashed into the crossbar, the place every little thing appeared to go darkish, and Dibu Martínez turned a hero as soon as once more by saving two penalties, Otamendi took the penalty kick and after putting the ball within the objective, he made the jubilation explode from the 1000’s of Argentinians who, as soon as once more, stuffed the NRG Stadium in Houston; the infinite hugs from the gamers and the gratitude to the Large Dibu.
Tonight, Otamendi will as soon as once more fall right into a deep sleep, as he did at the start of 2000, leaning on his mom Silvia’s shoulder, on the 2 buses (the 15 and 57) that took them two hours every method from El Talar, the place they lived in a humble home, to the Olympic Village for the Ituzaingó match the place the younger defender educated. Thus, mom and son spent a number of hours on the bus 5 days every week, and in that contained dream, the child dreamed of enjoying within the first division of Vélez and within the Argentine nationwide workforce and profitable a World Cup. Otamendi’s desires got here true: he made his debut at Vélez, the place he received the championship and established himself as top-of-the-line defenders on the earth, passing on his high quality to defend each ball as if it have been his final to Porto, Atlético Mineiro, Valencia, Manchester Metropolis, Benfica.
