Atlanta United: 5 things we learned from Cincinnati, San Jose wins
By Josh Bouland
1. What it all means going forward
Josef Martinez’s injury looms large as Atlanta United try to finish the season strong and make a run at back-to-back MLS Cups. Originally thought to be a serious knee injury, it seems that Martinez will only miss the remainder of the regular season and could be back with the team for the playoffs. While it is a nightmare situation for most clubs to lose their leading scorer, Atlanta have substantial depth in attacking areas.
Frank de Boer has a few options at his disposal to replace Martinez, including strikers Brandon Vazquez and Hector Villalba. Vazquez already filled in for Martinez over the summer. The young attacker fared well during that stretch, going a full 90 minutes in three-straight games and scoring Atlanta’s only goal in a 5-1 loss to Chicago. Vazquez also assisted Gonzalo Martinez’s goal on Saturday against San Jose after subbing on for the final 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, Villalba is finding more minutes after dealing with a knee injury nearly all summer. After missing 13 straight league matches, Villalba has appeared in the last six. With Martinez out, he should see even more minutes over the final three games. Something of note, Villalba said himself the knee is not 100%, but de Boer may still look to use his speed as a replica for Martinez’s clever, off-the-ball movement.
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With Villalba not fully fit just yet, I expect Vazquez to get the start on Wednesday against New York City FC. Depending on how the match develops, Vazquez may sub off for Villalba or we may see a two striker tandem between them with Pity subbing off instead. Ultimately, however, de Boer has some decisions to make as he looks to replace his best player.