Pity

Atlanta United signed Gonzalo Martínez as a Designated Player on Jan. 24, 2019 from Club Atlético River Plate of the Argentine Superliga. The 25-year-old attacking midfielder and Argentine international was voted the 2018 South American Player of the Year and the 2018 Argentine Footballer of the Year after helping River Plate win the 2018 Copa Libertadores. Martínez made his professional debut with Huracán in 2011. He made 97 appearances across all competitions and scored 10 goals from 2011-2014, helping Huracán secure promotion to the Argentine Superliga in 2014-15. He transferred to River Plate in January 2015, where he went on to make 169 appearances in all competitions, scoring a total of 35 goals. While at River Plate, Martínez won two Copa Libertadores (2015, 2018), two Copa Argentinas (2015-16, 2016-17) and two Supercopa Argentinas (2017-18, 2014-15).

2019 (Atlanta United): Started 26 of his 32 league appearances in his first season in MLS and recorded five goals and nine assists in 2151 minutes played. Voted to the 2019 MLS All-Star Team. MLS Cup Playoffs: Started two matches and recorded two assists. U.S. Open Cup: Started all five matches on Atlanta’s run to the 2019 US. Open Cup title and scored two goals. Scored game-winning goal in the final as Atlanta beat Minnesota United 2-1 (8/27). Scored game-winning goal in Atlanta’s 2-0 win against Saint Louis FC (7/10). Concacaf Champions League: Started all four of Atlanta’s matches against C.S. Herediano and CF Monterrey. Campeones Cup: Started in Atlanta’s 3-2 win against Club America (8/14).

2015-2018 (River Plate): Martínez scored four goals in his debut season with River Plate in 2015, then had a breakout season in 2016-17. The attacking midfielder made 28 appearances and scored seven goals. He followed that up with six goals in 21 appearances in 2017-18, which earned him his first call-up to the Argentine National Team. Before joining Atlanta in January, Martínez made seven appearances and scored two goals in 2018-2019 Argentine Superliga action.

Martínez was a key part of River Plate’s run to the 2018 Copa Libertadores title, South America’s top international club competition, and scored the final goal in River Plate’s 3-1 victory in Leg 2 against rivals Boca Juniors to win the final 5-3 on aggregate on Dec. 10, 2018 to secure a place in the FIFA Club World Cup. In the semifinal second leg, Martínez stepped up in stoppage time to score a penalty kick to send River Plate past Brazilian side Gremio.

The Argentine international made 169 appearances in all competitions, scoring a total of 35 goals from 2015-2018. While at River Plate, Martínez won two Copa Libertadores (2015, 2018), two Copa Argentinas (2015-16, 2016-17) and two Supercopa Argentinas (2017-18, 2014-15), and in 2018 was named both the South American Player of the Year and Argentine Footballer of the Year.

2011-2014 (Huracán): Martínez made his professional debut with Huracán in 2011-12 and made 12 appearances during that campaign. In the following two seasons, the midfielder became a main fixture for the club, wearing the No. 10 jersey and playing in 57 matches combined. Martínez scored his first professional goal on September 18, 2013 for Huracán in a Primera B Nacional contest. During Huracán’s promotion season in 2014-15, Martinez scored four goals in 21 appearances, including a stretch of three-straight matches with a goal in October of that year to help his side secure a return to the Argentine Superliga. He made 97 appearances across all competitions and scored 10 goals from 2011-2014. 

INTERNATIONAL: Martínez has made two appearances with Argentina’s senior national team, and scored one goal on his debut on Sept. 8, 2018 in a 3-0 win over Guatemala.