Thanks to Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez in goal, Argentina is through to the semi-finals of the Copa America after beating Ecuador 4-2 in the quarter-finals on penalties on Thursday. Martinez, a specialist in stopping shots in shootouts, saved the first two he faced as Nicolas Otamendi scored the decisive kick. Lionel Messi took Argentina’s first kick, but hit the crossbar with a cheeky chip.
The match finished 1–1 when Lisandro Martinez scored the opener, while Ecuador got a goal from Kevin Rodriguez in extra time. The World Cup champions were not at their sharpest but looked to have done enough in a physical match when Enner Valencia missed a second-half penalty for the underdogs and his low effort hit the left post.
Martinez’s goal came in the 35th minute, when he did well to head home from a designed corner. Messi delivered a tight ball to the front post, where Alexis Mac Allister tapped home a wide open back post, allowing the Manchester United defender to head home with relative ease. Look:
Ecuador looked golden in each half, with their first half chance denied from close range by Martinez in goal, but Rodriguez was able to head home late on to force penalties.
In the shootout, the Argentine goalkeeper did his thing as his teammates converted their last four attempts to advance.
Argentina, favorites to win the Copa America, are now just 90 minutes away from reaching their third straight major final. Messi and company advanced to the 2021 Copa America final, beating Brazil on home soil, ending a title drought dating back to 1993. Argentina then advanced to the 2022 World Cup final, ending a 36-year drought in the competition to beat France. their third world title, giving Messi the biggest prize in sport, the only thing missing from his CV.
With the win, Argentina will play on Tuesday against the winner of Friday evening’s quarter-final between Canada and Venezuela. As expected, La Albiceleste comes in as the big favorite. Argentina defeated Canada 2-0 in the Copa America opener. Venezuela, usually one of the most struggling teams in South America, was the surprise of the tournament by starting 3-0-0 and playing a major role in the group stage elimination of Mexico, by El Beating Tri 1-0.
