Emiliano Martinez has reflected on the World Cup 2022 as Argentina comes closer to celebrating one year of their triumph. Martinez put on a scintillating display last year in Qatar to help Argentina become World Champions. He also won the Golden Glove award for his performances throughout the tournament. However, in a recent interview, Martinez gave his honest opinion on his performance in the World Cup final.
In an interview with ESPN, Emiliano Martinez talked about the enthralling World Cup final between Argentina and France. Despite winning the Golden Gloves, Martinez doesn’t believe he did well in the final. He said (via Mundo Albiceleste), “Against France, I saved badly, they came at me three times and they were three goals.” He also admitted that he should have saved at least one of Kylian Mbappe‘s three goals that the latter scored in the final.
🗣 Emiliano Martínez: “Against France I saved badly, they came at me three times and they were three goals. The one against Mbappé, I was in a bad position, I touched it and it beat me.
“I didn’t feel I saved well in that final. They see the final save or the penalties, but for… pic.twitter.com/xaWZS0R3Bz
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) December 11, 2023
Martinez further admitted, “I didn’t feel I saved well in that final. They see the final save or the penalties, but for me, I didn’t save well.” Nevertheless, Martinez did come in clutch during the final and in the rest of the tournament. Martinez made some crucial saves for Argentina against Australia in the round of 16. He also put in a man-of-the-match display in the quarterfinal against the Netherlands.
Martinez made two big saves in the penalty shootout against the Dutch. In the final, he also made an incredible save against France’s Randal Kolo Muani in the dying seconds of the match from point-blank range. In the shootout, Emiliano Martinez saved Kingsley Coman’s shot and almost sealed Argentina’s victory in the final.
Emiliano Martinez reveals how he saved Virgin Van Dijk’s penalty in the World Cup quarterfinals
Meanwhile, Emiliano Martinez also revealed what went through his mind in the penalty shootout in the quarterfinals against the Netherlands. In a heated match, Argentina and the Netherlands remained deadlocked 2-2 even after extra time. With the Dutch captain Virgil Van Dijk stepping up to take the first penalty, Martinez revealed how he prepared to face Van Dijk.
Martinez admitted that he prepared for Van Dijk’s shot by watching Liverpool‘s 2022 Carabao Cup final victory against Chelsea. He said, “There’s a final at Wembley that stuck in my mind because I watch a lot of football. I had seen three finals that Van Dijk had kicked to the left. In the three shots he kicked there, they had won. I said: ‘I’ll stay calm and I’m going to die there’.“
🗣 Emiliano Martínez: “I had seen three finals that Van Dijk had kicked to the left.
“There’s a final at Wembley that stuck in my mind, because I watch a lot of football, that Kepa stood there as if he were fooling him and leaving him the whole goal free and he still hit it to… pic.twitter.com/kOY48vmDfa
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) December 11, 2023
The Argentine shot-stopper’s prediction came true as he dived to save Van Dijk’s shot in the final. He also the second Dutch penalty kick from their winger Steven Berghuis. Martinez’s preparation also paid off in the final, as he was spotted constantly playing mindgames as the French players came to take their penalties.