Argentina just earned a spot in the Copa America 2021 final after taking down Colombia in a penalty shootout after an exciting 1-1 semifinal. And even though he played a great game, Lionel Messi wasn’t the hero this time.
Instead, it was Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez the one who took most of the credit and the glory, as he stopped not one, not two, but three penalty kicks during the shootout, and more importantly, he completely messed up the Colombians’ heads
The young keeper, who’s currently shining in the English Premier League, gave us all a huge lesson of trash-talking. Clearly, it worked, especially with Yerry Mina, who looked completely out of confidence.
Copa America 2021: What Did Emiliano Martinez Tell Colombian Players?
“Te como hermano, lo siento pero te como. Estás nervioso, mirá que está un poquito grande la pelota, dejá de hacerte el boludo, ya te conozco, te la atajo eh, mirá que te como hermano eh, mirá que te como. Estás nervioso, te estás riendo porque estás nervioso”, which translates to “I’m gonna eat you alive, I’m sorry but I will. You’re nervous, that ball is looking a little too big. Stop acting up because I know you. I will stop it, I will eat you alive. You’re nervous. You’re laughing because you’re nervous.
Martinez has been a low-profile kind of player since he was first called up to the national team. He had to patiently wait for his turn to showcase his skills and he has surpassed all expectationsthus far.
Now, he’ll face his toughest task yet, as Argentina will playlifelong rivals Brazil in the final on Saturday. Then again, he seems unfazed and unimpressed by his opponents and it seems like there’s not a guy on Earth who’s more confident in his skills than him right now.