Martínez captures MVP honors in MLS
ATLANTA — In just his second MLS season, Josef Martínez is quickly filling up his trophy case.
The Atlanta United FC striker took home Major League Soccer’s Golden Boot award earlier this year after breaking the single season MLS record for goals scored. Combined with his postseason totals, the 25-year-old Venezuelan has tallied 34 goals this season and six assists.
Martínez is simply one of the most dynamic scorers the 23-year-old league has seen.
And on Wednesday in Atlanta, he was awarded for highlightfilled second season in MLS. At the family offices of Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank, Martínez was given the league’s MVP award for the 2018 season.
The trophy was presented to Martínez by Lino DiCuollo, the league’s special vice president of player relations and competition. In attendance to congratulate Martínez were Blank, Atlanta United president Darren Eales, the club’s technical director Carlos Bocanegra, and Martínez’s grandparents, aunt and niece.
“He’s the greatest pure goalscorer MLS has ever had,” said Eales, who added that Martínez “leaps like a salmon” and “strikes like a cobra.”
When talking to the media at the club’s training grounds or after games this season, Martínez typically speaks in Spanish and lets a club spokesperson translate for him.
But after climbing the stage to accept the award on Wednesday, an emotional Martinez spoke to the crowd in English.
“Thank you to the God for my teammates,” Martínez said. “They are great. They are important. I also want to say thank you to the fans for amazing support this year.”
He then switched to Spanish to share more thoughts on winning the award, before ending with an English line that delivered a laugh.
“I’m more comfortable [speaking Spanish],” Martínez said. “I’m more nervous right now than taking a penalty kick.”
Other finalists for the award included Martínez’s Atlanta teammate Miguel Almirón, LAFC’s Carlos Vela, D.C. United’s Wayne Rooney and LA Galaxy’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Martínez garnered nearly 48 percent of the total vote and Almirón finished in second with about 15 percent of votes.
Almirón and Martínez were both MLS All-Stars this past season and named to the league’s Best XI. Many times this year, Martínez has credited his teammates — and Almirón specifically — for his success.
“Josef will be the first to tell you that award is a reflection of the great teamwork and the great coaching that he’s received this year,” Blank said. “That award belongs to everyone on this team. He’s a great striker and a great scorer but that’s because he’s put in the right position to take advantage of the talents that he has.”
Martínez added through a translator: “For my teammates, I told them the other day before training that this is a collective award and I couldn’t have done it without them. And if I could, I would cut up the trophy and give each one of them a little piece, because it really is a group effort.”
The voting for the Landon Donovan Most Valuable Player Award was rounded out by New York Red Bulls’ Bradley Wright-Phillips, D.C. United’s Luciano Acosta and Montreal Impact’s Ignacio Piatti. The award is voted on by players, club staffs and media members.