Atlanta United’s Hector Villalba has badly wanted to win one of the hand-painted guitars given to the player of the game following MLS games at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Instead, Miguel Almiron and Josef Martinez have won enough of them to keep ZZ Top playing for 100 years. Neither would share with Villalba one of their awards, whose winner is decided by the team. The player who receives the Golden Spike is voted on by the fans on social media. Anton Walkes has also won one of the guitars.
But after scoring in the second minute of injury time to tie Orlando City 1-1 on Saturday, Villalba finally got his guitar. So, what is he going to do with the bright pink and green electric instrument?
“I’m going to form a band with the rest of the guys,” he said. “It’s beautiful to win something like that.”
Villalba, like Martinez and Almiron, said he doesn’t play the guitar, but that someone is supposed to begin teaching them.
Villalba has scored four goals in the past four games, including two in the past two weeks at striker in place of the injured Josef Martinez. Villalba, the first Designated Player signed by the team, now leads Atlanta United with 10 goals.
“He is our goalscorer at the moment, so through his goals, through Miguel (Almiron’s) goals and through assists by Julian (Gressel) or Yamil (Asad), we are doing our best to fill in during Josef (Martinez’s) absence.,” Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino said. “That is what is most important for the team.”
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