Atlanta United and MLS: What does Pity Martinez signing mean for club and league?
By Josh Bouland
With the Pity Martinez signing finally official, it’s time to look at its potential effect on both Atlanta United and Major League Soccer.
Gonzalo “Pity” Martinez is officially part of Atlanta United. The Argentine has been rumored to be joining the Five Stripes for months now, but the news is finally official as of Thursday morning with the announcement coming from the team.
Martinez is mainly seen as a replacement for the soon to be departing Miguel Almiron. At 25, he is in his prime, starring for River Plate over the last few years. He most recently helped the club to a Copa Libertadores trophy and appearance in the FIFA Club World Cup. He was also named the South American Player of the Year.
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Now that Martinez is with the club, it’s worth looking at what his signing means for both Atlanta United and Major League Soccer as a whole. What effects will this have on both entities going forward? What impact will Martinez have on the club? Can he have success in MLS?
Effect on the club
Martinez should have both an immediate and long term effect on the club as a whole. On the pitch, he should be seeing game minutes almost immediately. Now that he is with the team, he can begin training with his teammates under Frank de Boer in preparation for the CONCACAF Champions League. He will be one of the best players on the field in any game, no matter the competition.
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Off the pitch, Martinez will have an effect on how international players see Atlanta United. The club is already a beacon for South American talent, featuring the likes of Miguel Almiron, Josef Martinez, Ezequiel Barco, and Eric Remedi. More and more, South American players are looking at Atlanta United as a path to bigger aspirations. With Almiron most likely heading to the Premier League, his move will cement that notion.
Pity Martinez is looking to head to Europe eventually, and he thinks Atlanta is the way to do it. If he is successful, other players from South America will look to do the same. The club will continue to catch young talent, help develop and showcase said talent, and then move those players on to where they want to be.
On the pitch, Martinez should help Atlanta to many wins. Off the pitch, his signing will attract other young, international talent. In the short term, Martinez should provide immediate talent on the field and should boost his teammates around him. In the long term, his play will attract players from all over the world and, if he is sold by the club, the profit from his sale should help keep Atlanta successful for a very long time.
Effect on the league
The signing of Pity Martinez should have a big effect on MLS as a whole. Martinez is expected to be a human highlight reel on the pitch, just as he was in Argentina. His presence will bring immediate credibility to a league that is craving it.
He also brings a different kind of credibility. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney and Bastian Schweinsteiger all giving their stamps of approval and bringing brand recognition with them, Martinez offers a different kind of star. They are all in the latter stages of their career. Martinez is 25, right in his prime.
As MLS continues to attract international talent, Martinez will be another cog in the machine as clubs look to the southern hemisphere for talent. Martinez can show other international players that MLS is a temporary destination to get to even bigger clubs, just as Almiron is currently doing.
In the short term, Martinez will be one of the best talents in the league and should dazzle even casual fans on a consistent basis. In the long term, he should experience success in the league, causing other international players to take notice of MLS.
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Martinez’s signing is an immediate boost for MLS, and if he does well in the CONCACAF Champions League, he may boost MLS’s credibility at the same time.