If Atlanta United has to replace Josef Martinez, the team his two possibilities: Brandon Vazquez and Hector Villalba.
"We are going to wait to see how he's doing first," Villalba said after Saturday's 3-1 win against San Jose at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm always ready to play, wherever the coach needs me. If he asks me to play goalkeeper, I'm ready."
Martinez, the team’s leading scorer with 26 goals, left the game in the 79th minute after he collided with a teammate. Martinez appeared to point to his knee. He was able to walk off the field, and returned to action before being subbed off. He was seen leaning against an advertising board and appeared to be in pain. He was carried back to the locker room on a stretcher, which may have been precautionary.
Manager Frank de Boer said he hoped to receive a diagnoses on Sunday. Currently, the extent of the injury is not publicly known.
Atlanta United has three games remaining in the regular season. They will next play at NYCFC on Wednesday in a key game that will determine which team will finish in first in the MLS Eastern Conference. Atlanta United trails NYCFC by three points. NYCFC will play at Dallas on Sunday.
If Martinez can’t play, de Boer said others players will need to step. Going to back to interviews with club President Darren Eales, Vice President Carlos Bocanegra and de Boer before the CONCACAF Champions League in February, each has said that Atlanta United is deep.
There is deep, but replacing Martinez may need a fortitude that is significant.
Martinez’s 26 goals are 22 more than the team’s next-best scorers, Julian Gressel, Justin Meram and Pity Martinez. His desire to score, his determination, his “give me your best because you know you’re getting mine” seems to drive those around him.
“I’m so long in soccer, other players have to step up for one or two games or more games,” de Boer said. “Other players have to step up. That’s what they are training for, to step in. I warned them, every time, every moment, be patient, your time will come but then you have to be ready at that moment. Don’t look at me when you aren’t ready because that’s your call.
“Hopefully there are other people who will stand up in that moment. We will see which one will replace him if he’s injured.”
Villalba and Vazquez have had injury-plagued seasons.
Villalba has appeared in just 17 games, with one goal and four assists. He is proven with 20 goals scored the previous two seasons. He’s not the athlete that Martinez is and isn’t the same type of aerial threat, but he is dangerous because he can score from outside the penalty box.
Vazquez has never really gotten a run in MLS with just 31 appearance since 2017. But he is big, fast and can be handful. His performances in the earlier rounds of the U.S. Open Cup with four goals are why Atlanta United was eventually able to win the tournament.
“He’s very good in the box, whether he comes on in replace of Josef or to come on and play with two forwards,” Villalba said. “He’s a very capable player, and he hasn’t gotten as many minutes as he would like, but, we have other players who can step up. Obviously, we wish Josef a fast recovery.”
Martinez has made quick recoveries before. He sustained an adductor injury in early August that resulted in him missing a U.S. Open Cup semifinal at Orlando. Atlanta United won because of goals from Eric Remedi and Emerson Hyndman. Martinez returned to play in the next against NYCFC and scored two goals in a 2-1 win.
In previous seasons, Atlanta United has dealt with injuries to Martinez and key players time after time. This season, the team has been without Designated Player Ezequiel Barco more often than not because of injuries. Its list of players who have missed at least one game because of an injury is quite lengthy.
“Josef is a great player, very important for us, we know that, but he’s not the solution of Atlanta United,” centerback Leandro Gonzalez Pirez said. “He scores a lot of goals for the club, but it’s also because of what the team generates and assists him. He’s an important piece, but if he’s not there that doesn’t mean we can’t win. We’re going to do things the same way, it might be more or less difficult, but we’ll try to replace him the best we can if there is an injury, because we still don’t know anything.”
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