Atlanta United forward Josef Martínez was voted the MLS Player of the Month presented by EA Sports by members of the media for the month of July.
The 25-year-old Venezuelan continues to lead the MLS Golden Boot race with 24 goals in 23 games, including a league best eight game-winning goals. He is just three goals away from equaling Bradley Wright-Phillips’ record for 27 goals in a season, and is averaging 1.0 goals per game and 1.12 goals per 90 minutes over 43 career MLS matches. On Wednesday, he was named the 2018 MLS All-Star Game MVP after scoring against Juventus.
In July, Martínez scorched opposing teams to the tune of nine goals and an assist. Maríinez was the lone goal scorer for Atlanta United in a 3-2 loss at FC Dallas on July 4 when he slid into the box to equalize the game in the 41st minute (Watch Goal) and then again in the 73rd minute to put his team ahead (Watch Goal). Only a few days later it was Martinez who got Atlanta back on track when he scored off of a penalty kick in the 58th minute in a 2-0 win against Philadelphia Union on July 7 (Watch Goal). The Venezuelan showcased his talents once again when he scored Atlanta’s tying goal in a 1-1 draw against Seattle Sounders FC on July 15 with an impressive header inside the box in the 48th minute (Watch Goal).
On July 21 Martinez made MLS history when he recorded his sixth hat trick in a 3-1 win against D.C. United. He opened the scoring for Atlanta in the 30th minute with a header into the left corner of the goal (Watch Goal). His second of the game came off another perfect header off a deflected cross to finish at the far post (Watch Goal). To finish his record-setting game, Martínez scored his third goal in the 73rd minute when he created an open net opportunity for himself (Watch Goal). The forward completed the month of July with two goals scored in a 2-1 win against the Montreal Impact on July 28. Martínez scored the first goal in the 31st minute with a header from the center of the box (Watch Goal), followed by a close range shot off a rebound in the 57th minute to make the score 2-0 (Watch Goal).
Martínez has been named MLS Player of the Week three times this season. This is his first Player of the Month award for 2018 after he was the only player to be selected twice in 2017.
Atlanta United sits in first place in the Supporters’ Shield standings with 47 points (14-4-5) and returns to action Saturday, August 4 at 4 p.m. EST vs. Toronto FC. The match from Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be nationally televised on ESPN.
MLS Player of the Month presented by EA SPORTS™ is voted upon by a panel of select national media members in a process conducted by MLS Communications.
