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Argentina hero Emi Martinez reveals his bizarre penalty shootout antics.
Emiliano Martinez felt he was the epitome of calm during Argentina’s World Cup final penalty shootout victory over France.
One of the enduring themes of Qatar 2022 will be the Aston Villa goalkeeper’s incredible journey from the fourth tier of English football to the world champion.
Martinez made two incredible stops in the quarterfinal shootout victory against Holland, and he was rightly confident after a thrilling 3-3 tie against the defending champions on Sunday.
The 30-year-old changed the outcome of the match in Argentina’s favor by first stopping Kingsley Coman, and then his cunning manoeuvres caused Aurelien Tchouameni to drag his shot wide of the post.
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Martinez threw the ball outside of the penalty area, delaying the Real Madrid midfielder and making the youngster go get it, prolonging his agonizing wait to take a crucial penalty.
Martinez displayed some ostentatious dance routines after an opponent’s defeat, much as he did earlier in the tournament against Louis van Gaal’s club, but he emphasized that these histrionics are intended to inspire his teammates.
He said: ‘I did my thing that I dreamed of. It is in this moment that I have to give my teammates peace of mind.
‘I could have stopped it (Mbappe’s penalty) too, I dived badly. But then I did everything right.
‘I have no words for it. I was calm during the penalty shootout and everything went as we wanted,” Martinez said after Sunday’s final. All that I have dreamed of has been achieved.’