Emiliano Martínez spoke about the Copa America final, reaching four finals with Argentina and penalty kicks.
Martínez was at the Argentina national team press conference on Saturday with coach Lionel Scaloni. Martínez spoke about the Copa America final and reaching four finals with Argentina. Here is what he had to say:
“I feel more complete and more comfortable in the National Team goal. I try to correct every goal I get scored on and I try to improve day by day.
“We have to play fútbol. Now I think it’s 120, we have more minutes to play fútbol.
“We have the same illusion, it will be our fourth final and we are excited as if it were the first, with the heart and the desire to play.
“Finals are played, they are about winning. Whoever plays was going to be difficult. Sometimes heart is a big part of a final, because plans don’t always go the way you think they will.
“Being champion does not mean not being motivated, on the contrary, I am even more motivated today than in the last Copa America. I think it’s the same for all my teammates.
“If you tell me that I’m going to play my fourth final at this age, the truth is that I would never have planned it, it cost me a lot.
“Since I was 12 years old I went to the Rojo’s boarding house and at 16/17 I went to England for a dream. It cost me a lot, more than I expected. Sometimes fútbol gives you those paths and I wouldn’t change my career at all. Today I am the goalkeeper I am thanks to that.
“I am very excited to play this final as if it were the first one, this will be the first one with people. I have 20/30 family members in the stands that gives me a plus, also my baby, who wasn’t there the previous Copa América and I missed the birth. That gives me more strength than anyone else.
“When you play 11 against 11 in 38 degrees of heat they are all complicated matches. Ecuador deserved at least a draw and Canada gave us a tough game. They are all very different and very physical.”
About penalty kicks:
“For me, penalty kicks are 100% luck. You can study a lot, but not all penalties are the same. I have stopped some that were totally opposite to what I had studied.”
