Big Martin 2 consecutive saves! Messi 1 was in a cold sweat, and the penalty was shocked: Argentina narrowly won, and the first top 4 team was born

Talk about the sports world

2024-07-05 11:46Posted in Shandong Sports Creator

The first match of the 8-in-4 knockout round of the Copa America was played between Argentina, ranked No. 1 in the world, and Ecuador, ranked No. 30. Throughout the game, Argentina dominated possession, but Ecuador also created a number of counter-attacking opportunities. Lima headed home and Valencia missed a penalty before Valencia miraculously equalised in stoppage time. The two teams entered a penalty shootout, and in the penalty shootout, Messi was the first to be saved, and then Big Martin operated to the limit and made two consecutive saves to help Argentina advance!

In the group stage, Argentina, who was in Group A, won all three games, scored 5 goals and conceded 0 goals, and entered the knockout round. Ecuador, on the other hand, in Group B, with a record of 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss, accumulated 4 points to beat Mexico and finished second in the group. The two teams have met in the past 6 times, and Argentina has an absolute advantage with 5 wins and 1 draw. Therefore, it will not be easy for Ecuador to pull off a miracle on Argentina.

The mighty Argentina had the initiative on the ball from the start, pushing forward layer by layer to suppress the Ecuadorian defence. However, Ecuador's dense positioning did not give Argentina too many opportunities to penetrate, but used tough defense and sharp counterattacks to threaten Argentina's defense several times. Fifteen minutes later, Ecuador played a brilliant combination when Samiento's powerful shot was saved by Martin and then followed by Pais's shot that went just wide.

And for a long time afterward, Ecuador's threatening attack made Argentina very uncomfortable. It wasn't until the 28th minute that Argentina scored a good goal with a header from Enzo. In the 35th minute, the deadlock of the game was broken, Argentina sent a corner kick, the front point was rubbed, and the Lima header at the back point was successful!

Lima was very excited after the goal, after all, this goal not only helped the team to take the lead, but also the first goal of his national team career, which belonged to his own historic moment.

Throughout the first half, Argentina, who had the superior strength, had an absolute dominance of possession, but there was no good way to face Ecuador's dense defense. Moreover, Ecuador's pressing in the front court also caused Argentina to make a lot of low-level mistakes. There was no chance in the athletic battle, but taking advantage of the set-pieces, Argentina seized the opportunity to break the deadlock.

For Ecuador, the tactics were undoubtedly successful, but it was in the defensive of corners that there was a lack of marking. The current situation in Ecuador is very embarrassing, and it must be attacked if it is behind, but its own offensive strength is limited. And Argentina is not only good at controlling the ball, but more importantly, their counter-attacks are also of a high standard.

After returning in the second half, Ecuador played more aggressively in the offensive end, while Argentina also had a plan, stubborn defense, and did not give the opponent too good a chance to shoot. On the contrary, the continuous fierce confrontation caused a lot of disputes between the two teams. In the 60th minute, Ecuador forced De Paul to appear handball in the penalty area through continuous corner kick opportunities, and the referee blew a penalty directly, but Valencia's shot deceived Big Martin and hit the post! Ecuador missed a good chance to equalise.

Just a few minutes later, Argentina had a great chance up front, as Messi dodged the defence and volleyed sideways to the goalkeeper. In stoppage time, Zamora equalised with a header and the draw was drawn in regulation time, forcing both teams to go to penalties.

In the penalty shootout, Messi was the first penalty taker, and the spoon penalty hit the crossbar and popped up! Then Big Martin operated to the limit and saved two penalties in a row. After the game, Messi hugged Martin tightly to express his gratitude. In the end, Argentina relied on penalties to defeat Ecuador and become the first team to qualify for the last four of the Copa America.

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