Copa America 2024: How Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez went from a second-fiddle goalie to becoming Argentina’s Man Friday

It is apt when Emiliano Martinez is often remembered by his nickname Dibu – the name of an Argentinian cartoon character that comes from the Spanish word for ‘drawing’ – given that more often than not, his performance between the sticks and under the crossbar is nothing short of a portrait on a canvas.

On Thursday, the goalkeeper added another stroke to his drawing after he starred in Argentina’s win over Ecuador in the Copa America 2024 quarterfinal after saving two spot kicks during the penalty shootout.

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Over the past few years, a penalty shoot-out involving Argentina usually comes with a Martinez masterclass, with the keeper yet to lose one in national colours.

A penalty-saving merchant

Argentina beat Ecuador 4-2 on penalties to qualify for a fifth successive Copa America semifinal, and it has Martinez to thank for the feat.

La Albiceleste’s talisman Lionel Messi went for the cheeky shot and tried to panenka Ecuadorian goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez, but the attempt could only lightly rattle the crossbar.

Enter Dibu Martinez.

Ecuador’s Angel Mena stepped up, Martinez with his usual shimmying dance with arms up and wide to distract the penalty taker. Mena’s thumping strike to the right found its way to Martinez’s gloves, like a moth to a flame.

After Julian Alvarez postage-stamped his kick into the top right corner, it was Martinez once again, who with a big extension of his left arm while diving to his right, stopped Alan Minda’s attempt. This was followed by a quintessential quirky dance move that has often marked his penalty saves these last few years, while in front of the Argentinian fans.

“I told the boys I wasn’t ready to go home. They weren’t either,” he said after the win. Martinez also said he throws himself “500 times a day in training” to perfect the art of saving penalties.

Martinez’s unblemished penalty-shootout record started on July 6, 2021, when Martinez saved three penalties to help Argentina win the Copa America semifinal against Colombia. The Albiceleste went on to win the tournament.

Having made his international debut just about a month before the win against Colombia, Martinez proved himself to be a capable custodian of the Argentinian goal – a point that would be reiterated in Qatar again and again.

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal against the Netherlands, Martinez denied Virgil Van Dijk and Steven Berghuis’ attempts in the penalty shootout to book his side’s place in the semifinals.

After keeping a clean sheet in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Croatia in the semifinal, Martinez was set to play the biggest match of his career thus far.

After stopping Randal Kolo Muani’s stoppage-time effort with an outstretched leg, the Aston Villa goalkeeper was going into the penalty shootout against the French as the favourite.

It was Kingsley Coman who was the first to fall for Dibu’s antics. The former Arsenal goalie was known to get into the minds of the penaltytakers, saying a word or two at them after walking up to the spot. He repeated the sledging to Aurelien Tchouameni, turning it up a notch by making the Frenchman walk to retrieve the ball. When it came to the kick, the midfielder missed.

Many opined that the 2023 IFAB rule that now stopped goalkeepers from “unfairly distracting the kicker” during penalties was targeted at Martinez’s nonchalance and a degree of irreverence shown to his opponents. However, the man himself didn’t seem shaken.

Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, left, conforts Ecuador’s goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez after Argentina defeated Ecuador in a penalty shootout during a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match in Houston, Thursday, July 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
AP

“I was able to stop them (penalties) and help the team win, that’s enough for me. We will always have to adapt to modern rules and what FIFA wants, so there will be no problem. We will adapt,” he’d said.

With the win over Ecuador, the performance extended Martinez’s brilliant penalty record to 50 per cent during regulation time. He has now faced 24 penalties, and saved nine, with the takers missing three.

From warming benches to being Lionel Messi’s best friend

“I knew that ‘Dibu’ would come good, he loves those moments, [and] he rises to them,” said a relieved Messi after the Copa America 2024 quarterfinal. “He had faith in himself. Even before the game, he was joking that if it went to penalties, we should relax.”

Such is the assurance that Martinez’s presence has imbued through Lionel Scaloni’s men since the 2021 Copa win. But this feeling has taken years to come into the Argentina team since Dibu was once warming benches in North London for the better part of a decade.

Lionel Messi and Emiliano Martinez of Argentina line up for the national anthem prior to the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 quarter-final match between Argentina and Ecuador at NRG Stadium on July 04, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images via AFP

Born in Mar del Plata, Martinez started his career, playing for Independiente’s youth team. In 2009, shortly after his 17th birthday, he was invited to trial at Arsenal and was initially offered a youth contract. For the next nine years or so, the then-Gunner found himself either on the bench for the English club, or making measly appearances for other lower-division clubs as a loanee.

It was in 2020 that Martinez stepped in for an injured Bernd Leno to be Arsenal’s first choice between the sticks. The fruits of his patience turned out sweet when he helped the London-based club clinch the FA Cup and the Community Shield.

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After tasting silverware, he left Arsenal to join Aston Villa. While many thought it to be a demotion, Martinez was happy to disagree. 

“When I decided to come to Villa it was because I trusted the manager’s ambitions, the club’s ambitions. I knew what a big club Villa is. People don’t realise how big it is,” Martinez had told reporters. “They were all saying it was a step down in my career but I will always say it was a step up.”

In his first season as the first-choice goalie at Villa Park, Martinez played in all 38 matches in the 2020-21 season, in which he kept 15 clean sheets, equalling Brad Friedel’s record at the club.

Martinez, right from the off, had displayed his prowess when he denied John Lundstram from the spot on his Aston Villa debut.

It was during this season that Martinez made his international debut for Argentina, which won him a place in the 2021 Copa America squad.

Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez holds the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper of the tournament at the end of the World Cup final match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Sunday, Dec.18, 2022.
| Photo Credit:
AP

In the 2023-24 season, Martinez was part of a Villa team that finished fourth in the Premier League. The side also made it to the UEFA Conference League’s semifinals after Dibu’s heroics made an appearance in the quarterfinal, in which he silenced the Lille fans with a finger to his lips after saving two penalties in the shootout.

Head coach Unai Emery has learnt the importance of Emiliano Martinez in the team. Therefore he has asked for his return for the club’s pre-season right after the ongoing Copa, as Villa prepares for its return to the Champions League after four decades (it was known as the European Cup then).

Currently, Martinez has the most clean sheets in the Copa America 2024, having not leaked any goals in the group stage. Defending champion Argentina is the favourite to brush aside debutant Canada in the semifinals. But if the Les Rogues decide to bare their teeth, trust Dibu to rise to the occasion and end it with a dance.