MARIETTA, Ga. — It’s safe to say that Pity Martinez has gotten off to a slow start to life in MLS. Through six regular-season matches (only three of which are starts), the 25-year-old Argentine is yet to notch a goal or an assist and has only played 90 minutes once in the league this season.
Last weekend against the Colorado Rapids, the attacking midfielder’s emotions got the best of him after Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer decided to pull the new Designated Player from the game in the 71st minute. Martinez was visibly upset sitting on the bench afterward, kicking the chair in front of him and gesturing wildly to show his displeasure.
“I have no problem with that,” De Boer told reporters Friday at Atlanta United’s training ground ahead of the team’s road trip to Sporting Kansas City this Sunday (9 pm ET | FS1 in US, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada). “He wants to show more, and I think that's a very good sign for every player that he's pissed off that he got changed.”
But Martinez was clearly irritated prior to his removal from the game. When the referee blew the halftime whistle, Martinez got into a verbal confrontation with fellow midfielder Julian Gressel.
“I don't really want to go into too much detail, but you know obviously I had a different idea than what he had and we kind of talked about it,” said Gressel, who scored the winner against the Rapids, after Martinez was subbed out. “He approached me about it in the way he did... and we resolved it pretty quickly. We both wanted to win the game. We both want to create chances and score goals. That's the only thing it comes down to.”
If there’s anyone who could empathize with the frustration Martinez is feeling, perhaps it’s his younger Argentine teammate Ezequiel Barco. The signing of both players sent shockwaves through the league as landmark moments. In Barco’s case, Atlanta United’s notable financial outlay on his transfer created immediate expectations. The same can be said for Martinez, who not only joined Atlanta United for a similar amount of money, but came in with the prestigious tag of El Pais’ “South American Player of the Year.”
“It's difficult coming from a different league and to get adjusted here,” Barco told media through a translator. “You know, I went through a similar thing last season, but all we can do is try to support him and we know that he's a great player.”
Eric Remedi, who came on the field as Martinez was being removed from that game as part of De Boer’s double-substitution, said he understands and that Martinez even apologized for the outburst.
“We all talk every day. No player likes to come off, so maybe in that moment of the game the player takes out his anger and unfortunately the cameras catch it,” Remedi told reporters on Thursday. “He said he made a mistake. We all accept how he is. Any player can get annoyed and they are moments that can happen in soccer games.”
