Throughout the history of Major League Soccer, high-quality players have come to the league in summer transfers and taken extended time to adjust to their new teammates, the style of play in the league and the lifestyle of American soccer.
Early returns show that Juan Manuel Martinez does not fit into that category.
After scoring in his first start for Real Salt Lake, the Argentine forward has shown early in his MLS career that he is making a smooth transition into the RSL locker room, on and off the field.
To Martinez, the explanation for that quick acclimation is simple.
“It’s football. Here it’s soccer, but soccer is the same in all places. It’s the same rules … you just need to play,” Martinez smiled this week. “When I start with new teams, I want to win. It’s in my mind to win all games, so it’s the same here.”
With his early success finding the back of the net, Martinez has quickly endeared himself quickly to RSL fans. However, it was much more than that impressive strike against the Houston Dynamo last week that has shown his teammates that he stands to be a significant addition for an RSL team that has been reluctant to tout its individual stars in the past.
“He’s got absolute quality. I saw it from the first week since he’s been here. He’s been a top player,” RSL captain Kyle Beckerman said. “You can tell just by his touch, by his pass, by his shot. Everything about him. For that type of player it doesn’t take much to adapt at all.”
The sample size is limited with Martinez – he’s played just 115 minutes in his two MLS appearances – but already he has blended in on the field and in the locker room. His combinations with players all over the field against the Dynamo, but particularly with talisman Javier Morales, made clear early on that he would make an impact in that match. He finished the match with three shots on goal. The two that were saved spilled rebounds to other players who scored. The other was the third goal of the match for Real Salt Lake.
Two weeks prior, he made his first appearance for RSL, coming off the bench against FC Dallas and drawing a penalty, setting up yet another goalscoring chance for Salt Lake on the road.
Both games showed a lot to Head Coach Jeff Cassar, confirming the cohesiveness he already saw on the training ground and in the locker room. Cassar says his experience with clubs like Boca Juniors and Corinthians made that transition easier for him.
“He’s a very experienced player. He’s played in massive, massive games, been on several different teams and been successful in all of them. So he’s used to different styles of play whether it’s in Brazil or Argentina. And he’s really intelligent,” Cassar said. “He watches. He learns. He sees how he can combine with other players and it’s been seamless. Now it’s just trying to get him as fit as possible as soon as possible.”
Martinez will likely see his first playing time at Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday when RSL takes on the LA Galaxy in a crucial match in the Western Conference playoff chase for Salt Lake.
“It’s been great. It’s really been a pleasure having him,” Beckerman said. “Hopefully he can be the addition to help us make this push to get into the playoffs.”
