How Argentina’s grittiness showed up again in penalty shootout vs. Ecuador

Argentina didn’t turn out to be the No. 1 males’s group in FIFA’s world rankings solely due to its talent-rich roster led by the person many take into account to the best soccer participant ever — although having Lionel Messi has definitely helped.

Lionel Scaloni’s facet might have simply two losses over the previous 5 years en path to turning into the reigning Copa América and World Cup champion, however Argentina has not completed so by being a juggernaut. Relatively, Argentina has developed a gritty mentality that showed up again when it was wanted most in a dramatic penalty shootout towards Ecuador in the 2024 Copa América quarterfinals Thursday.

“There’s that component of survival that Argentina must thrive in these competitions,” Jimmy Conrad stated on “FOX Soccer NOW” instantly after Nicolas Otamendi‘s clinching penalty kick. 

“They’d it in the final Copa América, that they had it in the World Cup — most notably once they had been up 2-0 [against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals] they usually gave up these two late objectives to ship it into [penalties] — they nonetheless discovered a technique to get by means of. It actually speaks to the core of this group and their mentality.”

Thursday’s match towards Ecuador drew some parallels to that dramatic, intense contest towards the Netherlands in Dec. 2022 in Qatar. Each occasions, Argentina appeared in management for many of the match solely to give up a dramatic late equalizer in stoppage time. In the newest case, it was a dramatic Kevin Rodriguez header that tied issues up for Ecuador in the primary minute of added time Thursday.

Kevin Rodríguez’s header brings Ecuador to a 1-1 tie with Argentina in stoppage time

Some groups wouldn’t have been in a position to regain momentum from that dramatic late swing. Many groups would by no means have recovered when Messi stunningly missed his penalty kick to start the shootout. However, as Conrad’s “FOX Soccer NOW” co-host Melissa Ortiz identified, this Argentina group has been right here earlier than, and that was on full show Thursday. 

Instantly after Messi’s miss, Emiliano Martinez saved Ecuador’s first two penalties whereas Julian Alvarez, Alexis Mac Allister, Gonzalo Montiel and Otamendi all nailed their spot kicks to ship their group by means of to the Copa América 2024 semifinals.

“That is when you already know not solely how a lot expertise these gamers have, however the confidence they’ve,” Ortiz stated. “Not solely in themselves however in one another — and in the one that’s a very powerful pillar of penalty kick situations, the goalkeeper Emi Martinez. These gamers set up, get to the midfield line and are already engulfed with confidence, simply given the truth that they’ve Emi Martinez they usually have been in this place in so many various events.”

Martinez has been a part of 4 main event penalty shootouts since taking up as Argentina’s first-choice goalkeeper — towards Colombia in the 2021 Copa América, in the aforementioned World Cup match towards The Netherlands, in the enduring 2022 World Cup Last towards France, and on Thursday. He has gained all 4.

“They have been in this situation, they usually know the way to handle their feelings, their nerves,” Ortiz stated.

The “FOX Soccer NOW” trio of Conrad, Ortiz, and third co-host Wes Morgan all agreed that every of Argentina’s penalty makes an attempt was class, together with Messi’s, which they stated had the correct thought however simply missed execution as his chip down the center bounced off the highest of the objective’s crossbar. 

Argentina vs. Ecuador: Full Penalty Shootout | 2024 Copa América

“It is a kind of ones the place, if it goes in, everybody’s saying ‘Messi, the GOAT, what a objective,'” Morgan stated. “If it would not, there is a backlash to it. Fortunately, Emi Martinez and his teammates have pulled him out.”

Conrad famous that Argentina’s capacity to win video games like this, the place Messi and his co-stars performed far under their potential, is a scary thought for his or her upcoming Copa América opponents. If Argentina nonetheless has the power to win video games the place they stumble late, what occurs once they placed on a extra full efficiency?

“In some way, the champions know the way to survive,” Conrad stated.

“That is what champions do,” Morgan stated. 

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