The heroic double save by the Argentina national team that allowed ‘Dibu’ Martínez to break a 100-year-old record

Emiliano Martinez He had very little work in Argentina’s defeat by the United Arab Emirates, but the two times he was asked to appear in full force. So, he once again held the zero in his arc and he he extended his very low average of goals received since he grabbed the albiceleste diver.

In the first half, ‘Dibu’ was just another spectator. It was literally drawn. The Arab team never reached the Argentine goal. Instead, in the final part, there were two possibilities. Earlier, after three minutes, after a powerful shot by Abdulla Salmeen from mid-range and rebounding off the crossbar, Abdalla Ramadan kicked from the crescent and Dibu grabbed a rebound at his left post.

Then, with nine minutes to go, Fabio Lima was holding hands, he defined with his left foot for a discount but Martínez saved his barrier again; then, on the rebound, Germán Pezzella deflects Caio’s shot over the line.

From this result in white, Dibu Martínez accumulates 19 matches in the Argentine goal and keeps 14 times the fence undefeated. He has barely conceded five goals, so he has a goal against average of 0.26. The lowest since 1902.

In some statistics he can appear with 20 matches and 15 unbeaten beats because the 5 minutes of the suspended match against Brazil count. It is assumed that FIFA, by first determining the full game replay, canceled that failed meeting. Then, the clash was suspended so that Brazil and Argentina finished the qualifiers with one game to spare. But from the international body they have not yet published the summaries of the knockout phase and that is why some consider that match tiny.

In historical comparison, Dibu’s first 19 games in the Argentine goal are unbeatable. If we look at the five goalkeepers who have played the most games in history, they all conceded more than 10 goals in their first 19 games: Sergio Romero (96 games in total), 14; Ubaldo Fillol (54), 16; Roberto Abbondanzieri (49), 20; Sergius Goicochea (44); 18; and Antonio Roma (41), 25.

Even Mono Germán Burgos, who still hold the longest unbeaten streak in history, with 606 minutes.. He only did it in his first 19 games, but conceded 11 goals. The second sign is “little” Romero with 576 minutes without conceding a goal, while the podium closes him Treasurer America, from the 1920s, who spent 553 minutes with a clean sheet. This streak also included his first 19 games, but Gran Merico conceded a total of 16 goals.

Dibu Martínez already has the record sixth goalless minutes: 470 in 2021, all for qualifiers. Right in the middle of those five failed minutes with Brazil and for this reason there are those who count 475 minutes. Now, since the match with Chile in January this year, the goalkeeper has 380 minutes without conceding a goal. Thus began the dream of Qatar 2022.