Atlanta United Forward Josef MartÃÂnez Voted Alcatel MLS Player of the Week
Published on July 24, 2018 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
NEW YORK - Atlanta United forward Josef MartÃnez was voted the Alcatel Major League Soccer Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for the 21st week of the 2018 MLS season.
Atlanta United defeated D.C. United 3-1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, with MartÃnez recording a historic hat trick to set a new MLS record with six career hat tricks. In 22 games this season, MartÃnez is the league's Golden Boot leader with 22 goals, becoming the first player in MLS history to score 22 goals through the first 22 games in a season. Atlanta United sit first in the Eastern Conference with 44 points (13-4-5 overall record).
MartÃnez scored his first goal of the match with a 30th minute equalizer, beating D.C. United keeper David Ousted to a Héctor Villalba aerial cross and finishing with a header to the left of goal. Atlanta took a 2-1 lead in the 54th minute when MartÃnez finished a deflected cross with another header at the far post.
The Venezuelan National Team member showed his impressive skills once again in the 73rd minute with his third goal of the match to break the MLS record and grab his sixth career hat trick. MartÃnez intercepted an attempted clearance from defender Steve Birnbaum and forced Ousted to dive the wrong way with a cutback move, setting up an open net for for the easy finish (Watch Goal).
Atlanta United return to action on Saturday, July 28 to face the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo (7 p.m. ET, TVAS / ESPN+).
The Alcatel MLS Player of the Week is chosen each week of the regular season by members of the North American Soccer Reporters. The organization includes print, television, radio and online journalists who cover domestic men's soccer in the United States and Canada. Learn more about the NASR and apply to join at https://www.facebook.com/soccerreporters/.
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