Argentina suffered throughout the match, had no punch and played its worst game in the Copa America, but in the penalty shootout, after 1-1 in the 90 minutes, Dibu Martínez was the hero again and not only saved his team, but also Lionel Messi, who missed the first shot.
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The Ecuadorians, at times, played better football than Argentina and perhaps deserved the draw, but they were not effective and not even from the penalty spot could they overcome a team that played one of the weakest games in recent times, in which Lionel Messi’s presence was barely symbolic. It should be remembered that the star had missed the last game of the group stage, against Peru, due to muscular discomfort.
With just one shot on goal in the first half, Argentina managed to make a difference and sustain it for the rest of the match. It was in the 35th minute, when Alexis MacAllister headed the ball in from a corner kick at the near post and set up Lisandro Martínez, who reached the second to beat Ecuadorian goalkeeper Alexánder Domínguez. What a moment to score his first goal with the National Team.
Lisandro Martínez celebrates Argentina’s first goal against Ecuador.
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Ecuador dominated the second half, but without shooting at goal it is very difficult to do damage, or at least that is what the various websites that summarize the games through numbers showed. Uruguayan referee Andrés Matonte even gave them the option of tying the game with a penalty, after a handball by Rodrigo de Paul that was later confirmed by the VAR.
Enner Valencia, the most experienced of the Ecuadorian attackers, a teammate of Rafael Santos Borré at Internacional de Porto Alegre, stood in front of the ball. He did half the job, fooling goalkeeper Dibu Martinez, who flew to his left and left the other half of the goal at his disposal. But his shot crashed into the post. Thus, half an hour from the end, Ecuador spared Argentina’s life.
Despite the missed penalty, Ecuador did not resign itself and already in the minutes of added time, A cross from John Yeboah found the head of Kevin Rodriguez to take the match to the penalty spot.
This was the tiebreaker from the penalty spot
0-0: Argentina missed the first shot: Lionel Messi tried to chip the ball past goalkeeper Domínguez and his shot crashed into the crossbar.
0-0: Ángel Mena missed the chance to put Ecuador ahead. He took a shot too far in the centre and Dibu Martínez leaned to his left to save the ball.
Argentina 1-0 Ecuador: Julian Alvarez hit the ball hard and high, into the corner. Alexander Dominguez flew to that side, but could not stop the ball.
Argentina 1-0 Ecuador: Once again, Dibu was a figure. He dived to the right to stop Alan Minda’s header.
Argentina 2-0 Ecuador: Alexis MacAllister hit the ball to Domínguez’s left, and it flew in off the other post.
Argentina 2-1 Ecuador: John Yeboah, who set up the equalising play, hit it hard and high to completely fool Dibu, who dived to the right.
Argentina 3-1 Ecuador: Gonzalo Montiel, the same player who secured the World Cup in Qatar, took a shot to Domínguez’s left, which went in off the other post.
Argentina 3-2 Ecuador: Jordy Caicedo hit it wrong and Dibu Martínez guessed, but was unable to stop the shot.
Argentina 4-2 Ecuador: Nicolás Otamendi gave Argentina a place in the semi-finals with a shot close to Domínguez’s right-hand post.
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