How Josef Martínez might fit with Inter Miami

Earlier this month, Joseph Martinez wrapped up six memorable seasons in Atlanta. The final year of his contract with Atlanta United was bought by the club, paving the way for the 2018 MLS MVP to sign conference rivals Inter Miami as a free agent.

To understand what version of Martinez Miami will be, we first have to understand why Atlanta United were so willing to part ways with one of the most influential players in their short history. there is.

Atlanta United technical director Carlos Bocanegra told reporters on 18 January: “It’s been difficult for us too. Joseph is loved at the club. The fan base, the city… He’s been my favorite since 2017. We know he’s been great for us and what we can’t do is replace Joseph Martinez who came here in 2017.”

Martinez left Atlanta United with impressive individual awards and a league title. Earning MLS All-Star MVP, League MVP and MLS Cup MVP, his 39-goal 2018 season is one of his best single-season performances in league history. Martinez has scored a total of 32 goals in 2019. The club’s total of 111 goals in all competitions would be a high for many years to come.

Martinez arrived in Atlanta on loan from Turin in Serie A, unknown and unknown to North American football audiences. His proverbial chip on his shoulder and the grimace he often played with became a major part of his brand on the field.Martinez’s star As his status grew throughout the league, his bravado became the Atlanta It has formed a deep connection with the city. Martinez’s appearance in the media was highly anticipated among local reporters. The outspoken Venezuelan was an estimating machine.

Martinez is a celebrity brand ambassador for Atlanta United and has been featured in highlight reel goal celebrations, courtside seats at Atlanta Hawks games, penalty kick approach More outlandish than it was effective. His exaggerated stutter steps and hop method made coaches nervous, but suited a player who loved the spotlight.

“[Tata Martino]once told me that when I stepped in and hit harder, I felt more comfortable,” Martinez told The Athletic in 2019. I had a ball in my throat. “

Martinez uses the reporter’s microphone as his own megaphone. When Martino left Atlanta and Frank de Boer took over, Martinez openly opposed the Dutch coach’s pragmatic, possession-first philosophy.

“This club made Atlanta famous,” Martinez said in 2019. This team must never change their style of play or the way they express themselves on the field. The coaches may be new, but we are the ones playing the game. “

In February 2020, Martinez suffered a serious knee injury in the MLS regular season opener against Nashville SC. Since then, Martinez has struggled to come back from multiple knee surgeries, and in the process, he battled his two head coaches in Atlanta. A public altercation between Gabriel Einze and Gonzalo Pineda put Martinez’s club life in jeopardy and brought an unfortunate end to his time at Atlanta.

Inter Miami have signed Martinez to a one-year deal with the option of a second season. This appears to be a deal that takes into account that his marketability in MLS could stall in South Florida if he fails to hit double-digit targets. Conversely, a successful reboot of Martinez’s brand in Miami would benefit the league.

Martinez is no longer a draft player. His role under Miami coach Phil Neville, and his overall fitness, are uncertain as the start of the season approaches, with Martinez set to leave Inter for Will he lead Miami’s front line? Or will Neville gradually increase his workload to ease the transition?

Martinez leads Atlanta United in goals in 2021 and 2022 and has scored a total of 21 goals over the past two seasons despite limited playing time. So there’s reason to give him another chance — though it could be his last in MLS.

Joseph Martinez in MLS action before and after his ACL tear in 2020

*Frank de Boer
**Gabriel Einze/Gonzalo Pineda
***Gonzalo Pineda

Atlanta has not provided a consistent manager for its players since Martino left after winning the 2018 MLS Cup. Martinez was prolific in 2019 despite a difficult transition for the team to play for Frank de Boer. Fans lamented the team’s move away from their ferocious style of play for more pragmatic alternatives, but that had little effect on how well the Venezuelans excelled in the final third.

What a ball 🎯 @Julian Gressel

What a finish 💥 @JosefMartinez17 pic.twitter.com/B8n765EBVV

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 19, 2019

The clip above is Martinez and Atlanta at their best in 2019. In his first season without co-star Miguel Almiron, his equally prolific partnership with Julian Gressel became even more significant in terms of creating opportunities. Against the same Portland-Timbers team that Atlanta won his MLS Cup last season, Gressel was able to find a channel behind his back line and pitched a perfectly weighted ball. Sent to Martinez pass. From there, it’s all too easy for an elite striker. Enough time to calm and direct the ball to his right foot, lack of pressure when weighing strikes, and plenty of space between the goalie and the net to ensure a loop finish. It will be difficult to save.

Of course, it was all finally sealed with his trademark kneeling. Few players in MLS are as ruthless and ruthless as Martinez in 2019.

Unfortunately, his ACL tear in 2020 robbed him of his chance to build a golden campaign. By the time he made his return for his 2021 season, Gabriel Heinze joined in Deboer’s place. Gabriel Heinze lasted only half a season before being shown the door due to his inability to build a relationship with his star striker. Ultimately, the Argentinian was packed and replaced by head coach Gonzalo Pineda for the first time.

Martinez was visibly affected while recovering from knee surgery as the team changed coaches. His expected goal output dropped significantly, with more than half fewer shots per game and slightly less accuracy in framing chances. Fewer defenders were taken on due to fewer attempts and a combination of different marching orders shown in the data through touches to the penalty area every 90 minutes and understandable physical limitations following the procedure.

Martinez faced a mental hurdle as he worked to avoid another stint on the sidelines, but his offside rate was about the same and a similar level of initiative to beat the defensive line. suggests.

As the 2022 season progressed and Martinez failed to quickly return to world-best form, Pineda turned the Venezuelan into a supersub. 14 of his 26 appearances have come from the bench, a significant change after starting all but 9 of his first 108 regular season appearances with Atlanta. Naturally, that reduced role limited his ability to deliver sustained impact, but his shooting accuracy improved beyond pre-injury conditions as he enjoyed more serves in the box. .

Additionally, Martinez’s status as a player in the rotation may have implied that he was an inferior player, but in reality it ensured he was on the field when he was at his most dangerous. .

xG per time interval of Josef Martínez, 2022

*Total includes loss time at the end of each half

Breaking each 2022 regular season game into 15-minute intervals can show Martinez’s effectiveness at different moments. At his best, the striker was seen as a clutch player who could dagger his opponents’ hearts in the second half of a match. , the remaining seven goals were scored after half-time.

He underperformed his expected goal output in each of the three first-half intervals, but was above those clips regardless of the second-half moments. Not only that, but his expected goals increased with each interval after the break, validating his ability as the end of the game approached, while his touch count increased as the final whistle approached. There is a possibility.

Miami might not be a bad situation for Martinez if Neville decides to settle him into his new team. Scoring 12 goals in 28 appearances, he turned his loan period into a permanent move from Wolverhampton. Now on the roster as a young designated player, the club will no doubt want to continue his development before moving him on as their first significant player sale.

There are two obvious ways to go about Martinez’s situation. The first is to try to get him to accept supersub status again, giving Neville an ace as Miami look to improve his 14 losses and his 6 draws in 2022. to give. A striker setup that Neville tried regularly last year.

But let’s take a look at the five formations Miami used most often last year. 2, 4-3-1-2, or 5-3-2 based setups — indicating that they may not be optimal for the team as a whole, and the sample studied he is about the same size.

Inter Miami’s 5 most popular formations for 2022*

*4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, 4-3-1-2, 4-4-1-1, 5-3-2 — only 7% or more of the season’s deployments

Having watched Martinez’s first two years after surgery, there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to significantly upgrade Gonzalo Higuain. Especially considering the Argentinian is finishing out the final season strongly. With two strikers on the field, Miami’s expected goals are down, as are raw shots. The team played fewer balls, which corresponds to Martinez’ strength in transition, but the team managed fewer attacking sequences.

Of course, the coach and his striker will have a full preseason figuring out how to get the most out of the promising young striker and former MVP. While the tactical possibilities are interesting, the off-field implications of Martinez’s arrival in Miami could have legacies for both players and organizations.

At this point, Miami desperately needs high-profile acquisitions to start on the right foot. . Gonzalo Higuain also struggled to adapt before ending his Miami career as a fan favorite. Inter his Miami are still actively pursuing Lionel his Messi. This effectively wipes out all previous failures. However, it seems more likely that he will stay for a year or two after he is in Paris. Meanwhile, the club must avoid Martinez becoming a failed former MLS player in South Florida.

As for Martinez himself, the third season’s excellent but not elite work effectively erases much of his mystique. All great goalscorers inevitably decline, but if he can’t come close to his best form, the question of when to return to that great form becomes a question of whether he still has the ability. In that case, I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t torn my anterior cruciate ligament on the natural grass surface of Nissan Stadium in 2020.

Pairing teams and players isn’t without the risk of mismatches, but it’s certainly fascinating to follow.

(Photo: Rich Story-USA TODAY Sports)