There were homages to injured striker Josef Martinez throughout Atlanta United's 2-1 win against Cincinnati on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The team brought out his jersey for its pre-game photo.
The supporters belted a chant about him around the game’s seventh minute.
After Ezequiel Barco scored, he held up seven fingers because seven is Martinez’s jersey number.
But the most important homages were the two goals scored, one by Barco and another by Emerson Hyndman, because they secured the win, which Martinez has said throughout his four years with the club is the most important thing.
“With (Martinez) being out, chances have got to come from somewhere else a little bit more,” said Hyndman, who is tied for the team lead in goals (2). “It’s definitely a focus for everyone. Everyone has to step up a little bit more, especially in the attacking third. We can’t rely on him for goals anymore, so we’ve got to create our own chances and have a good end product when we can.”
Adam Jahn stepped into Martinez’s role Saturday. Though Jahn didn’t take a shot, head coach Frank de Boer said he was happy with his effort.
Sometimes, the “stepping up” involved creating the ingredients for a goal.
On Barco’s opening goal, Jahn’s run to the near post pulled a defender with him and created the empty space in the goal’s mouth that Barco ran into to meet Pity Martinez’s cross.
“It’s a team effort because you can’t fill his (Josef Martinez’s) shoes, but everyone stepped up and we did enough to get the result,” Jahn said. “(Ezequiel) Barco with a great goal and Emerson is in great form, so people are just stepping up and that’s what it’s about. That’s what a team is all about, finding a way to win, someone’s going to step up and get it done.”
And Pity Martinez contributed two assists. On the first goal, he raced down the left side of Cincinnati’s defense. Centerback Kendall Waston, who received a yellow card earlier in the game, couldn’t challenge Martinez once he got into the penalty box.
On the second, Martinez and Barco played a nice combination until Barco found Hyndman in the box. His shot proved to be the winning goal.
Martinez’s first assist probably should have come much earlier when he deftly found Barco making a run between defenders and into the penalty box. Barco’s shot was saved by the goalkeeper’s foot. Again, Jahn occupied defenders to create space for Barco.
“When an important player is injured or not playing, then other players will feel that responsibility to step in that gap,” Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer said. “I think Pity (Martinez) and (Ezequiel) Barco is one of those. They have that feeling that they are the guys to lift up this team now. To be creative, but also score goals, and I think they are doing a great job.”
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