The clash went to penalties after Kevin Rodriguez’s stoppage-time leveller for Ecuador cancelled out Lisandro Martinez’s first-half opener.
After the quarter-final ended 1-1, Martinez’s saves from Angel Mena and Alan Minda put Ecuador on the back foot at the NRG Stadium in Houston and set the platform for defending champions Argentina to win 4-2 on penalties.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper had pumped up the crowd earlier when Ecuador skipper Enner Valencia missed a second-half penalty, and the 31-year-old said he made it clear to his teammates before the shoot-out that defeat was not an option.
“I told the boys I wasn’t ready to go home. They weren’t either,” added Martinez, after being named Player of the Match.
“We are champions of the world and of (South) America, this team deserved to go on.
This story is from the July 06, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the July 06, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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