ATLANTA — The word “consistency” isn’t always associated with flamboyant strikers with a penchant for the dramatic, but Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez is nothing if not a dependable source of goals.
With his 72nd-minute penalty kick to seal a 3-0 win over the LA Galaxy at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Saturday, the Venezuelan international tied his own record (also shared with Portland’s Diego Valeri) by scoring in his ninth consecutive league match.
Ironically, as consistently as his shots hit the back of the net, he’s just as unwavering in the way he perceives their value.
“The records are just numbers,” Martinez said in the dressing room after Saturday’s win. “I said that the last time you guys asked me about that. They’re just goals. Obviously they are important, but I would change everything for another title.
“Obviously when a forward scores, he’s happy. And more if we win. Because if I would have scored a goal today and we would have lost, there’s no way I would be talking to you guys.”
Frank de Boer says Martinez's latest historic run owes to his relentless mentality — one he’s seen in other great players past and present.
“He's so eager. Maybe [Filippo] Inzaghi was a player like that. They are so eager to score. Their whole life is about scoring and I think that's a fantastic characteristic as a striker,” De Boer said earlier this season. “[Luiz] Suarez is the same. I remember when we'd play friendly games [at Ajax] he was scoring goals against amateur clubs, but he was taking the ball out of the net and running back, put it on the spot on the halfway line and trying to score again. That's the mentality Josef has. It's fantastic to see. I love that.”
Martinez will have a chance to take sole possession of the record next Sunday at home against New York City FC (4 pm ET | ESPN, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada), but it’s not the only record he’s chasing. After missing several games in June on international duty, at the end of the day Saturday he trailed LAFC’s Carlos Vela by only four goals in the race for the Golden Boot presented by Audi. Both strikers have a chance at breaking Martinez’s single-season goalscoring record that he set last year in his MVP-winning season.
Not that he cares about that, though. Martinez only cares about one thing — taking a page out of NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson’s playbook.
“The truth is I’m happy with whoever gives me the ball,” said Martinez. “If you play and give me the ball, then I’ll be happy with you.”
With players like Ezequiel Barco and Tito Villalba gaining fitness and Pity Martinez finding his best form, Josef shouldn’t be short of teammates who can get him the ball. And for Atlanta, who surged into first place with the win Saturday, it couldn’t be happening at a better time.
