Dibu Martínez, the day he became a superhero: two penalties saved in definition and pure emotion

Dibu is enlarged, no doubt. The meter of him with 95 centimeters is gigantic under the sticks as what he is, a superhero. A Marvel character, only the dress is missing.

Emiliano Martínez is not just another goalkeeper, when needed, dons his cape as he did in the last minute against Australia, avoiding a draw. Like he did on penalties in that semifinal of America’s Cup 2021 with Colombia, when his fame as a Marvel character was born. Like he did even now, at the Lusail stadium, cheering on the team at the worst moment.

After the match, the goalkeeper vented his anger at the refereeing of the Spaniard Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz: “They came to me twice, I don’t know what charges and it took another 10 minutes. Looks like they wanted to tie them up”.

Because you have to get under the skin of the players. Argentina wins 2-0 and celebrates, with a brilliant Messi and a solid team. In a few minutes everything turns upside down with the Netherlands equalizing in a very long recovery time and the national team feels the pinch. With anger as fuel, Messi and company deserved to win it in extra time. In the definition on penalties, the emotional advantage of the orange suits was evident. They had avoided a consummate defeat in record time and had one more chance.

The memory of the semi-final of the 2014 World Cup lingered in the air. More penalties, can history repeat itself? That time was immortalized by the parades of Chiquito Romero and del “today you become a hero” of Mascherano. The vast majority of Argentine supporters of the 88,000 who filled the stadium no longer wanted to watch the pitch. He had gone from dream to nightmare.

“It is a great emotion, We go with 45 million Argentineswith the country that is not experiencing a good economic moment and giving it joy in this way does us a lot of good”, Dibu said later, when the undertaking was completed.

But at that key moment, and with the impressive Virgil van Dijk standing in front of the ball, Dibu doubled up Jefe’s bet with Chiquito. Hero, no; Superhero. He dived to his right and deflected the huge Liverpool defender’s powerful shot. You know what it’s like to start the penalty shoot-out with that advantage. But he would have been more. Messi sealed the 1-0 and it was the turn of the 11th from Holland, Steven Berghuis. The left-handed shot and the humanity of the goalkeeper dressed in red went there. Two penalties received, two saves. An invaluable advantage.

Emiliano Martínez’s numbers on penalties speak of a specialist. In total he saved 14 of the 64 he was ejected in his career, 6 of 35 in regular time and 8 of 29 in definitions. In the Selection, out of 13, he avoided 6, they converted 6 and one was deflected.

We are in the semifinals because we have eggs, passion and heart and we do it for the 45 million Argentines. Now I want to celebrate, tomorrow we analyze Croatia”. A Marvel superhero in an Argentinian version.