The arc of the Argentine team without Dibu Martínez: the impact of his absence and who will be his replacement

Gerónimo Rulli, Juan Musso and Walter Benítez, the goalkeepers of the Argentine team without Draw Martínez

“Emiliano was always important when he was there, he is a weight loss, but we know that whoever it is his turn to play will do his best and they have the level of selection to be there. “Whoever saves will be well received and is here on his own merits.” Those words were the ones he chose Lionel Scaloni at the press conference prior to the double date of the South American Qualifiers when they asked him about the absence of Back Martínez, a weight loss for the Argentine team.

The thing is that the Aston Villa goalkeeper, who has also currently become the captain of the Premier League sensation team, was not cited for being suspended by FIFA after the gesture he made in the celebration after the victory against Chile in the River Plate stadium and for hitting a camera after the defeat against Colombia in Barranquilla. That is why he received two suspension dates and left the door open for the coach to have to select his replacement. At least in these days of October.

The first thing to mention is that Back He is a main actor of the selected. For Scaloni, it is a bastion like Holiday Romero and Rodrigo de Paul, that is, part of the solid structure of the team that celebrated the Cup title in Lusail on December 18, 2022. Since it was called up for the first time in October 2020 for the World Cup qualification World, He became the tenth player with the most calls from the coach with 22half a dozen less than other important footballers of the cycle such as De Paul, Lautaro Martínez, Leandro Paredes, Otamendi and Tagliafico.

The statistics show that the 32-year-old goalkeeper, who left the Independiente youth team to fulfill his dream of stopping in the soccer elite, He has made 47 appearances in the Albiceleste goal and on 34 occasions he finished with an undefeated goal.. has received four goals so far in the Qualifiers: two in the defeat against Uruguay in the Bombonera and another couple in the last loss against Colombia, as a visitor.

Precisely, it was in that duel that reissued the final of the Copa América in the United States that Back He could not equal a record that he pursues with the National Team diver: He already has 12 games with an undefeated record in the Qualifiers and is one game (13) away from the record he has Sergio Romerohistoric goalkeeper of the last 15 years in the national team. Now, they will have to wait for the double day in November, in which Argentina will face Paraguay, in Asunción, and Peru at home (venue to be confirmed), to keep that record.

Beyond the temporary absence of Martínez, Now the debate is on who will be his replacement. Pending confirmation, it is believed that the one chosen by Scaloni and Martín Tocalli, coach of the goalkeepers in this very successful cycle at the head of the National Team, will be the goalkeeper who asked Javier Mascherano to travel from the US to Paris to play the Olympics. Gerónimo Rulli, with a good presence at Olympique de Marseille, will be in charge of defending the Argentine goal against Venezuela in Maturín and against Bolivia in the Monumental.

Draw Martínez, the starting goalkeeper of a team that underwent changes among the goalkeepers (AFP)

The records show that the former goalkeeper of Estudiantes de La Plata, Real Sociedad, Villarreal and Ajax, conceded seven goals in the eight games he played as a starter for the French team, one of the most popular in Ligue 1. Rulli is a surname known in Scaloni’s cycle in the National Team and was one of those who occupied the goal in the friendlies against in 2018 that launched this stage of the light blue and white team.

After its first summons in 2015 by the Tata Martino, with his performance in Rio 2016 behind him, saw action in four matches with the Pujato coach, but he only started in the match against Ecuador (1-1) in the last Qualifiers. In total, he has 14 citations and is behind Juan Musso in calls to the National Team – total 18 -, who left Atalanta to make the leap to one of the greats of Spain such as Atlético de Madrid.

The former Racing was one of those who was in the running for one of the three places for the World Cup, but lost the battle for third place precisely with Rulli. Unlike the change he made ThenMusso has only saved in one game since his arrival at his new club – against Atlético de Bilbao – and remains as a substitute for the giant Jan Oblaka stronghold for Cholo Simeone and holder of the tool 10 seasons ago. The only duel in which Juan played from the start with Scaloni was against Bolivia in the last Qualifiers -Dibu Martínez was suspended- on September 9, 2021 with a result of 3-0 in favor.

The last case of the goalkeepers named for these two matches is the one with the least participation in the team. Walter Benítez He received his sixth call-up and still has no official duels under his belt. He played in the friendly against Costa Rica (3-1) and is one of the figures of PSV Eindhoven, soccer in the Netherlands, in which he played 10 games.

After the consensual departure of Franco Armani of the National Team, the first chosen by Scaloni to face his first important tournament at the head of the team -Copa América 2019 in Brazil-, Back Martínez took charge of the goal and became an essential actor for the consecration of the 2021 continental tournament, the Finalissima and the World Cup plus the recent title in the United States.

Since his arrival, the native of Pujato called names like those of Chiquito Romero, Agustín Marchesín and other surnames such as those of Paulo Gazzaniga, Agustín Rossi, Guido Herrera, Jeremías Ledesma and the sparring partner Federico Gomes Gerth (Tiger). But there was one who captivated him and who, thanks to his performances, won the affection of the people until he was considered one of the best in history with the Argentine shirt.

-

NEXT Puka Nacua leaves Rams training due to knee injury