We get the feeling FIFA have enough to be dealing with so could let it slide. That would be a mistake.
While the RTÉ crew got themselves into a tizzy about the potential of Andries Noppert staging some penalty shoot-out heroics, the rest of us readied ourselves for Emi Martinez to take centre stage.
The Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper is a demon for penalties. For club and country, he went into the World Cup quarter final with 10 penalty saves from the 33 he had faced [30% save rate]. And that is before you consider how he seems to grow for shoot-outs. At the 2021 Copa America, he sent Argentina to the final by saving three penalties in a shoot-out against Colombia.
Before saving one penalty from Colombia’ Yerry Mina, he famously hollered at him, “I’m eating you up, brother. I’m eating you up!”
After The Netherlands rallied from 2-0 to force extra time, then penalties, against Argentina, it was time for ‘Dibu’ Martinez to get his bib on. The feast was about to begin.
Martinez, who had loan spells with the likes of Oxford and Rotherham United when he was on Arsenal’s books, flung himself to the right, then left, to save the first two Dutch kicks of the shootout, from Virgil Van Dijk and Steven Berghuis. Although Enzo Fernandez was wide with his penalty, that Martinez cushion proved enough when his name-sake, Inter Milan’s Lautaro, send Noppert the wrong way to win the shoot-out 4-3.
Following what was a fractious game, which featured multiple flash-points, 16 yellow cards and a sending off, Emi Martinez was still highly emotional when he arrived for a TV interview. The Argentina goalkeeper cut strips off his vanquished foes, and Spanish referee Mateu Lahoz. He told BeIn Sports:
“We went 2-0 up and, basically, we controlled the game. The referee was giving everything for them. All of a sudden, they get a good header – a flick that I couldn’t clearly see – then, all of a sudden, it turned upside down.
“The ref was giving everything for them. He gave 10 minutes [added time] for no reason. He was giving free kicks for them outside the box, two or three times. He just wanted them to score, that’s basically it. Hopefully we don’t have that ref any more. He’s useless.”
That tirade was met by an ‘okay’ by the interviewer, who then turned the chat to the penalty shoot-out, but Emi Martinez was not finished.
Cristian Romero, Emi Martinez and Lionel Messi of Argentina. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)Emi Martinez and Lionel Messi with spicy comments
The Argentina players and staff had clearly been riled by Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal expressing supreme confidence in his side, ahead of the game. Emi Martinez did not hesitate in reminding van Gaal who the victors were. He declared:
“Louis van Gaal has been saying [Netherlands] have an advantage if the game went to penalties and, if it went to penalties, they would win. I think he needs to keep his mouth shut.”
The Dutch, their coach and the referee had all copped it, and there were only 53 seconds gone in the interview!
Sensing Martinez could easily double down on those comments, the chat moved to Croatia, the semi final opponents for Argentina. Martinez said the Croats, who reached the 2018 final, will be “tough”.
“We’ll enjoy today,” he added, “and we’ll see about them tomorrow.”
DIBU MARTÍNEZ DID NOT HOLD BACK pic.twitter.com/EcdNPB9ndM
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) December 9, 2022
Argentina captain Lionel Messi also had plenty to say about referee Mateu Lahoz. He stated, “I don’t want to speak about referees because after they will sanction you, but people saw what happened.
“I think FIFA must take care of this. It cannot put a referee like that for a match of such magnitude, of such importance. The referee cannot fail to be up to the task.”
Messi, and especially Emi Martinez, may find themselves sanctioned yet. Such brazen, harsh comments about a match official, in such a public forum, will not be looked upon too kindly by FIFA.
As much as both players should be sanctioned, and even suspended, for such comments, do not expect FIFA to have the bottle to sideline Argentina’s captain and goalkeeping hero for the semi-finals. Instead, we will most likely get a clap-back press release and a monetary sanction against the Argentine FA.
The Argentina players were clearly over-loaded on emotion, and adrenaline, after the tense, drawn-out victory. Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez was in tears, post-match, as he relieved a white-knuckle quarter final ride.
Love you @LisandrMartinez 🥹❤️
“It was just incredible.”
“I just freed [when Lautaro scored], because we didn’t deserve to end like that. We were much better than them.”
“I want to hug everyone the players, the coaching staff.. everyone.”pic.twitter.com/7RAeWFJCSu
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) December 9, 2022
Up next, a Croatia team that have already won two penalty shoot-outs in this World Cup.
Related articles:
- Lionel Messi appears to instigate touch-line row with Louis Van Gaal after shoot-out
- World Cup 2022 Day 20: All the major action and talking points
- World Cup Power Rankings: The top 10 players at the tournament ahead of the quarter-finals
