Emi Martinez blasts Van Gaal and referee after Argentina oust Netherlands
Emiliano Martinez may have been the hero after Argentina beat Netherlands on penalties in the World Cup quarter-finals, but he was still angry with both the referee and Dutch manager Louis van Gaal after his triumph.
The match finished a 2-2 draw after a dramatic climax to normal time, with Wout Weghorst scoring twice late on to see Netherlands force extra time.
However after no further goals in the extra period, it was Argentina who progressed as Martinez made two saves in the shootout and Lautaro Martinez eventually scored the winning spot-kick.
The Aston Villa keeper was clearly delighted to book a semi-final spot against Croatia, but his frustrations were still clear after the match, chiefly with referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz.
The Spanish referee showed 17 yellow cards and then a red card after the final whistle for Denzel Dumfries as the official lost control.
Neither side were happy with the referee, but Martinez accused him of being biased towards the Dutch and labelled him ‘useless’.
‘It was a tricky game and I thought we controlled the game really well,’ Martinez told beIN Sport. ‘We went 2-0 up, we basically controlled the game and the referee was giving everything to them.
‘All of a sudden they got a good header, a good flick, which I couldn’t see and then it turned upside-down.
‘The ref was giving everything to them. He gave 10 minutes [added time] for no reason, 10 minutes.
‘He was giving free-kicks outside the box for them two or three times – he just wanted them to score, that’s basically it. So hopefully we don’t have that referee anymore because he’s useless.’
He added that beating Netherlands on penalties was especially sweet after words from their manager Louis van Gaal beforehand as he sent a message to the outgoing boss.
‘I heard Van Gaal saying that in a penalty shoot-out they had the advantage, or if we went to penalties then they would win – I think he needs to keep his mouth shut,’ he said.
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