Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez brought Argentina to the semi-finals by making two saves to help Argentina win a 4-2 penalty shootout against Ecuador.

Lionel Messi eased hamstring injury concerns to start the match. Although Argentina did not enter the game very well, they still found an important moment to create an advantage. In the 35th minute, Messi took a corner kick, Alexis Mac Allister chose a position at the near post to make a reverse header, causing the Ecuadorian defense to lose direction. From there, midfielder Lisandro Martinez leisurely headed in from close range to help the defending champions. The enemy leads 1-0.

The goal came from the only right shot attempt by Messi and his teammates in the first half, equal to Ecuador. And when things did not improve much after the break, the risk of conceding to Argentina became even greater after a huge effort from their opponents. And in the 62nd minute, Ecuador came very close to scoring an equalizer when they were awarded a penalty. Rodrigo De Paul let the ball touch his hand, and even though he vehemently protested, the referee still firmly pointed to the 11-meter mark. However, Ecuador captain Enner Valencia shot against the post.

But the shock happened in the first minute of stoppage time, Kevin Rodriguez dangerously headed back after John Yeboah’s pass to score a 1-1 equalizer. The two teams ended with a poor performance when each side only had 8 shots, with 2 of them on the right track.

Lionel Messi hit the crossbar with a Panenka shot in the first penalty shootout.

Entering the penalty shootout, another shock occurred when captain Messi himself hit the crossbar with a Panenka shot. Luckily for Messi and Argentina, they have goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, the hero in the penalty shootout win over France in the 2022 World Cup final, in their squad. The Aston Villa star saved the first penalty kicks in a row. Ecuadorian side from Angel Mena and Alan Minda. With the following players Julian Alvarez, Mac Allister, Gonzalo Montiel (Argentina) and John Yeboah, Jordy Caicedo (Ecuador) all succeeding, veteran midfielder Nicolas Otamendi was the one to shoot the decisive shot that sealed the victory. won 4-2 for Argentina.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni commented after the match: “The match was what we talked about. It was a tough opponent, tough and played well. Physically, Ecuador is very good, their players are physically impressive. If we play better, we will score more goals. The second half was difficult. I’m sure there are things to improve, we have to analyze the game more.”

Messi started and played the entire match despite a suspected injury, causing him to miss the final group match against Peru. The Argentine captain also broke the record for playing the most minutes in tournament history. “Messi finished the match quite well. At extra time, we asked him how he was, and he said he felt fine,” coach Scaloni added.

Struggling to reach the semi-finals, Argentina continues to move forward in its quest for a record 16th Copa America title and third consecutive major title, with semi-final opponents Venezuela or Canada next Tuesday.

At Copa America 2024, the quarterfinals, semi-finals and 3rd place match will go straight to a penalty shootout if tied in regular time. Only the final, on July 14, will have extra time, and then a penalty shootout if the two teams remain undefeated.