‘Dibu’ Martínez, the goalkeeper who has been in the Argentine goal for 17 months and can be world champion

The game clock between Argentina and Australia marked the 97 minutes. After the ball went through the entire Argentinian defense, 18-year-old rookie Garang Kuol went one-on-one against Emiliano Martinez. The anguish and nervousness plagued the thousands of white and blue fans who packed the Ahmad bin Ali stadium. However, the ‘Dibu’ appeared in all its dimensions to once again save the arc of the Scaloni team.

A save that was celebrated as a goal by his teammates, who knelt before the goalkeeper to kiss him, as if he were a hero. Today in ’23 ′ he appeared when his team needed him the most and did not let the classification be decided in extra time. He decreed that Lionel Messi and company continue their career in search of the coveted world title.

He took his chance

We are not talking about a goalkeeper with more than a hundred matches at the national team level. A year and five months ago (June 3, 2021) he exactly debuted in the River Plate arc. Lionel Scaloni gave him the opportunity to debut in a match against Chile for the Qatar 2022 Qualifiers. At that time Franco Armani was the starter, but his COVID-19 infection led the strategist to trust the former Independent.

The ‘Dibu’ had already managed to fill Scaloni’s eye, although the coach couldn’t find the perfect excuse to leave River Plate’s ‘1’ aside, until the pandemic allowed him to. He was quoted from the first day and it was believed that the premiere would take even longer. The press and fans still did not see him with enough sign to seat Armani.

Once he signed his debut, Martínez did not go out anymore. He played the next qualifying match against Colombia and then came the Copa América in Brazil. He only rested against Bolivia and ended up being the champion goalkeeper with whom Argentina raised that trophy again after 28 years. As a bonus track, he was chosen as the best goalkeeper of the tournament. That feat in Brazilian lands ended up consecrating him.

Between penalties and a disputed tactic

The Aston Villa man is an expert at blocking penalties. His first big appearance was in August 2020 with Arsenal. He put on the cape and was the figure in the definition of penalties against Liverpool, in the definition of the FA Community Shield. A month earlier he also shone with the ‘Gunners’, a team in which he spent more than a decade between loans and substitutions, to win the FA Cup against Chelsea as a rival.

His technique for stopping shots from twelve steps caused a lot of controversy in the Copa América. This event arose in the quarterfinal duel against Colombia, covering his shots to Davinson Sánchez, Yerry Mina and Edwin Cardona. Using intimidating phrases like “Are you shit…?”, “Look how I eat you, eh!”, “I know you, throw me in the face” and “Look at me, look at me!”were not well taken by the coffee cast, generating more than one debate about whether it was unsportsmanlike or not.

perfect numbers

Martínez’s statistics with Argentina do not cease to amaze. He has fifteen clashes with an undefeated bow. That is to say, he has not seen his fence fall in 65% of the matches he has played with the albiceleste, he has only lost once (vs. Saudi Arabia) and has already recorded a title (Champions Cup). Likewise, he has saved five of eight penalties. In Qatar he goes for eternal glory.

Matches with Argentina without conceding goals