The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Martinez’s next goal? Start a game
Striker back playing after missing games for knee surgery.
Atlanta United striker Josef Martinez said he felt no pain in his right knee and that he feels “kind of normal” after playing 45 minutes in the team’s 2-1 loss to Columbus on Saturday at Mercedes-benz Stadium.
It was Martinez’s first action since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in early April. He missed the next seven games as the team went 1-33. Atlanta United is in 10th place after Saturday, two points out of the seventh and final playoff spot in the East.
Martinez came on as a sub to start the second half Saturday with the team trailing 2-0. Asked how the thought he played, Martinez said “(expletive).” Later, he was more objective.
“I won by already being on the field,” the 2018 MLS MVP said. “For me that is the most important. To come back again from an unexpected injury, but, well, it’s another stripe for the tiger. I’m happy to be back with the team. It wasn’t the best day but we’ve had worse. If we look back, last year we were in last place and ended in the playoffs. We still have the second half of the season. We have to have players recover (from injuries) because right now we don’t know who we’re going to play with but the team has fought and we hope the next game will be better.”
Manager Gonzalo Pineda said it wasn’t the plan to bring Martinez on so quickly. Martinez said he was also surprised that he entered the game. He said he was told to warm up. Martinez, the franchise’s leading scorer with 104 goals, didn’t take a shot against Columbus. He did create two chances.
Martinez said his next goal is to start a game. His next opportunity will come either when the team hosts Mexican club Pachuca in an exhibition on June 14, or when the team resumes league play by hosting Miami on June 19.
The team needs Martinez.
United hasn’t had a goal scored by a striker who started in the past three games. Ronaldo Cisneros started well in Martinez’s absence, scoring a hat trick against Chicago, but hasn’t scored since. Dom Dwyer has come off the bench to score in each of the past two games.
“It’s still hard. Today I feel OK, I’m happy to be back, happy to be in the locker room again,” Martinez said. “Obviously, not the best result, but this is soccer, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. We created a lot of chances and we have to improve the goals, we conceded a lot of goals — easy goals. We have to keep going, the season is still long.”