Martinez’s hard work pays off to send Argentina into Copa semifinals, Messi rues missed penalty

Argentina shot-stopper Emiliano Martinez produced an all too familiar display in the penalty shootout against Ecuador, keeping out La Tricolor’s first two spot-kicks to make up for Lionel Messi’s over hit panenka effort and send La Albiceleste into the semifinals, Soccernet.football reports.

The defending champions took a first half lead through Lisandro Martinez’s header in the 35th minute before Ecuador’s Enner Valencia spurned a glorious chance to draw the match level from the spot in the 62nd minute. 

La Tricolor eventually got their equalizer in stoppage time as Kevin Rodriguez headed in John Yeboah’s cross to take the match straight to penalties where Argentina’s goalkeeper Martinez took center stage.

Messi was the first to take a penalty for his team but saw his chipped effort hit the crossbar. Fortunately for La Albiceleste’s skipper, Martinez saved penalties from Angel Mena and Alan Minda, leading Argentina to a 4-2 victory in the shootout.

Martinez has now won all four penalty shootouts he has been involved in with Argentina, his latest display earning him the Player of the Match award. The Aston Villa goalkeeper insists that there is no luck involved with that statistic.

“I work for that, I throw myself 500 times a day in training,” he said.

“I try to be at my best level for the national team because the country deserves it, the people who spend their money to come and watch us.”

Speaking after the game about his missed penalty, Messi told reporters: “I was very angry, I was convinced that I would take it like that.

“I had spoken with Dibu (Martinez), with (Geronimo) Rulli, I had taken a couple of penalties. I hadn’t practiced, but I spoke with them.

“I had been taking several cross-shots, in fact the goalkeeper dived for a cross-shot, I tried to touch it and it went high.”