Atlanta United Vs Herediano: 5 key players to watch – The two Martinez’s
By Josh Bouland
4. Pity Martinez
Atlanta supporters will be looking forward to many things in this first competitive match of 2019. But none are more exciting than the first competitive sighting of club’s star offseason signing, Gonzalo “Pity” Martinez. The 25-year-old attacking midfielder joined the Five Stripes from River Plate in Argentina and will take to the pitch in earnest for the first time on Thursday.
This will be the fans’ first real look at Pity. There was very little preseason footage so this will be the true unveiling of Pity in action. It will be interesting to see not only how well he performs, but what his role on the team will be. On paper, he may seem like a like-for-like replacement of Miguel Almiron, but he is anything but.
Almiron was a strong two-way player who ran rampant throughout the midfield. He was responsible for springing counter-attacks and often tracked back to play defense. Pity does not have the same speed as Almiron, but is better at finishing. Under de Boer, he seems to be playing left wing in a 3-4-3, but it also appears that he has free rein to move around and combine with other players.
Also worth noting is that Pity just won the Copa Libertadores with River Plate back in December. Copa Libertadores is the CONMEBOL (South American) equivalent to CCL, as both tournaments provide a berth for the FIFA Club World Cup. He has winning experience in these competitions. That is important.