REVEALED: Emiliano Martinez, the goalkeeper for Aston Villa, talks about his penalty-taking technique and how the Argentina goalie saved the day in their shootout victory against France in the 2022 World Cup final.
Emiliano Martinez, the goalkeeper for Aston Villa and Argentina, has shared his strategies for winning penalty shootouts.
The 31-year-old gained notoriety for winning shootouts by whatever means after he helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup by defeating France on penalties in the championship game.
He had already gained the respect of the Colombian players during Argentina’s penalty shootout victory in the 2021 Copa America semifinals. He also emerged victorious in their shootout victory against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
Now, Martinez has shared with adidas how he managed the pressure of those circumstances in an interview conducted in collaboration with eminent neuroscientists neuro11.
“Penalty shootouts are one of the highest-pressure moments of the game, but I see it as an opportunity to channel that energy to my advantage,” the Argentine stated.
The 31-year-old’s victories for Argentina during the 2022 World Cup have given him a reputation for winning shootouts.
“I make an effort to have a clear head and remain focused while I’m standing on the goal line.” I let my instincts work, observing the shooter’s run-up and body type in particular, and used this information to guide my judgment about what to do next.
“After my session with adidas and neuro11, I found it interesting to see data that supported my own assessment—namely, that I perform better and am more in the zone when pressure is on.”
MartÃnez demonstrated his ability to perform well under pressure during the penalty shootout test, where he was 90% more in the optimal zone during high pressure moments. The study also revealed that Martinez was three times more effective than the grassroots goalkeeper at using pressure to enter the optimal zone. In 2022, Martinez made history with his side, Argentina, winning the World Cup 4-2 on penalties, where he was credited with stopping some of the French players before they missed their spot kicks. The 30-year-old also took home a winners medal and the Golden Glove award.
