Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino has several reasons to be interested in Wednesday’s MLS All-Star game in Chicago.
First, his first-year team will have three players in the game to be held at Soldier Field. Attacking midfielder Miguel Almiron and fullback Greg Garza were voted onto the team by fans, and captain and centerback Michael Parkhurst was selected by manager Veljko Paunovic.
“It is a point of pride for the team to have three guys representing in the All-Star Game in our first season, in these short six months together,” Martino said.
Second, Martino has at least one legitimate concern: He has already experienced two of his players suffering injuries while playing for teams other than Atlanta United. Josef Martinez missed 10 games after suffering a thigh injury while playing for the Venezuelan national team. Kenwyne Jones suffered a knee inflammation while playing for the Trinidad and Tobago national team that has kept him out of the past seven games. Martino said he hope both can return in time for the Aug. 23 game at D.C. United.
Atlanta United is in fifth place in the Eastern Conference and competing for a playoff spot in its inaugural season.
“If I didn’t have a player in the game, it would be all good,” he said on Thursday. “But I have three, so I don’t like it.”
Martino also seems bemused by holding not only an All-Star game, but holding one during the middle of the season. He said in his years as a player and a manager he has never had call to participate in an All-Star game.
Lastly, Real Madrid, back-to-back club champions of Europe and the team that the All-Stars will play, is also of some interest to Martino.
He managed Barcelona in 2013-14 with his team winning both of its matches against Los Merengues, which, with a lineup that includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, among others, is considered the top club team in the world.
Jokingly asked the key for the All-Stars to defeat Real Madrid, Martino said: “It’s tough to say because it’s a friendly and it’s also a festival, an event. But I think it’s a great honor for the MLS players to be in that game and to play against a team like Real Madrid. But I don’t have the secret to beating them. I just hope the guys enjoy it because it’s not something that comes along very often.”
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