Lisandro Martinez: I Think the Referees Are Doing an Excellent Job

Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez dismissed criticism of World Cup officiating on Friday, stating that the match officials performed excellently. This comes after Egypt voiced complaints regarding decisions in their dramatic 3-2 round-of-16 loss to the South American side, Reuters reported. Argentina advanced to the quarterfinals after recovering from a 0-2 deficit with 11 minutes remaining to defeat Egypt. However, the match sparked complaints from the Egyptian Football Association concerning the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), specifically the disallowing of Mostafa Ziko's 62nd-minute goal, which would have doubled the North Africans' lead. FIFA's head of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, has since defended the officials, rejecting accusations of bias and insisting that the referees acted independently.

"No, absolutely nothing," Martinez told reporters when asked if he had "anything to say about the officiating in the tournament." "I think they are doing an excellent job. That's something for you (the media) who sometimes generate controversy. We focus on giving our best on the field and nothing more," he added. Argentina faces Switzerland on Saturday in the quarterfinals in Kansas City, with the defending champions expressing respect for the European team while emphasizing the need to remain focused on their own performance.

"As always, what identifies this team is respect for the opponent," Martinez said. "If Switzerland is at this stage, it's because they have a lot of merit. We watched their match against Colombia, and they always try to play. They are very strong physically, and also from set pieces. I think it will be a great spectacle because both teams try to play," he stated.

Defender Cristian Romero echoed this sentiment, saying Argentina is primarily focused on correcting their own shortcomings. "Regardless of who we face, whatever the opponent's name or origin, we always focus on ourselves and on correcting the mistakes we've made," said Romero, who scored Argentina's first goal against Egypt.