Lionel Scaloni, the manager of defending champions Argentina, expressed his praise for goalkeeper Emi Martinez after he saved two spot-kicks to secure a spot in the Copa America semi-finals. The match against Ecuador ended 1-1 in normal time on Thursday and went to penalties. Martinez’s heroics in goal proved critical as Argentina emerged victorious with a 4-2 scoreline.
This was not the first time that Martinez played a crucial role in a shootout. He famously saved France from elimination during the World Cup final against France in 2022 and helped Villa advance to the Europa Conference League semi-finals against Lille more recently. Martinez stated that he was determined not to be eliminated, stating, “I told the boys I wasn’t ready to go home – they weren’t either.” He added, “We are champions of the world and this team deserved to go on.”
The Villa goalkeeper’s performance was acknowledged by Lionel Scaloni as being pivotal in securing victory for his team. The manager stated, “Our goalkeeper came up clutch.” Martinez’s heroics once again proved valuable for Argentina as they sought to defend their Copa America title.