Responsible for taking the penalty that put Argentina in the semifinals of the World Cup in Qatar, striker Lautaro Martínez said he was quite calm to take the penalty.
“I took a decisive penalty to charge, like in the Copa América. On that walk to the penalty mark, I was very calm because I trust my work”, said the striker, citing the semifinal of the 2021 Copa América, when he took the last penalty in the semifinal against Colombia.
“When I got the ball, I thought of my daughter. She changed my life. I work with my head down, I deserved to be here.”
Otamendi highlighted the spirit of the companions, which he called soldiers. ” It is the merit of the group, we are prepared for this type of competition. We knew it would be difficult, and we are going step by step, trying to do our best. We are ready to play against all teams. We have to continue like this. We are 26 soldiers.”
The defender also said that the Argentine team should have advanced without the need for extra time and penalties. “We deserved to have won in the 90 minutes, the tie was a hard blow. But on penalties, we are lucky to have Martínez, who saved two kicks.”
Now, the Argentine national team is preparing to face Croatia, on Tuesday (13), at the Lusail stadium, in search of a place in the World Cup final.
“It’s not every day you play in a World Cup semi-final,” said midfielder De Paul. “The idea was to enter here on the first day and leave on the last, but we started with a very tough defeat. Now, I hope that the incredible moments keep coming.
Striker Enzo Fernández wants to enjoy the victory over the Dutch first. “All my family is here, I’m very happy. I’m going to celebrate that we passed and then think about Croatia.”
Alberto Fernández, president of Argentina, published a message on social networks congratulating the players and celebrating the classification of the selection.
“To the players, the coach and each member of the delegation, thank you once again for so much passion and commitment until the last ball. They make us very happy”, wrote the president.
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