Saúl Martínez

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Saúl Martínez
Personal information
Full nameSaúl Asael Martínez Alvarez
Date of birth (1976-01-29) 29 January 1976
Place of birthColón, Honduras
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Playing positionForward
Club information
Current clubMiami United
Youth career
1995–1996Melgar
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1997–1998Long Island Rough Riders41(13)
1999Miami Fusion15(4)
1999–2000Hampton Roads Mariners26(16)
2000Olimpia5(1)
2001Motagua17(8)
2001–2002Nacional7(0)
2002–2005Shanghai Shenhua86(36)
2006Omiya Ardija3(0)
2006–2007Shanghai United12(3)
2007Motagua(1)
2007Shanghai Shenhua7(2)
2008Herediano8(1)
2008–2010Marathón24(9)
2010–2011Victoria14(14)
2011Marathón6(2)
2013–Miami United
National team‡
2001–2009Honduras35(16)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2008-09-27.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 2009-01-30
This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Martínez and the second or maternal family name is Alvarez.

Saúl Asael Martínez Alvarez (born 29 January 1976 in Colón, Honduras) is a Honduran football forward who currently plays for USA fourth tier-side Miami United.

Club career

Nicknamed Speedy, Saúl Martínez started his career at Honduran second division side Melgar before moving abroad to play for American outfit Long Island Rough Riders. He was assigned to Major League Soccer team Miami Fusion in 1999.[1] His first game in Liga Nacional was on 10 December 2000 with Olimpia against Broncos.

China

He first attracted the attentions of Shanghai Shenhua when he scored a hat trick against Slovenia during the Lunar New Year Cup in Hong Kong in early 2002. Shenhua quickly signed him and afterwards, Martinez became one of the most important players in the Shenhua team. He would end up playing in Asia for five years, winning the 2003 Chinese league title with Shanghai Shenhua; that title was however taken away from the club in 2013 due to its part in a match-fixing scandal.[2] He also won the 2003 Golden Boot Award with Shanghai.

In January 2008, Martínez joined Costa Rican side Herediano for three months after a move to Motagua did not materialise.[3] He then had a couple of seasons at Marathón.

He made a remarkable return from retirement with Victoria in the 2010 Apertura season, topping the goalscoring charts at age 34[4] and ending the season as runner-up behind Jerry Bengtson with 11 goals.[5]In July 2011 he returned for another spell at Marathón.[6]

He retired from football at the end of 2011.[7] In 2013 he returned to playing and joined compatriot Érick Vallecillo at newly formed Miami United of the National Premier Soccer League.[8]

Club career statistics

Club performance League
Season Club League Apps Goals
United States League
1997Long Island Rough RidersUSISL A-League163
19982510
1999Miami FusionMajor League Soccer154
2000Hampton Roads MarinersUSL A-League2616
Honduras League
2000/01OlimpiaLiga Nacional
2000/01MotaguaLiga Nacional
Uruguay League
2001NacionalPrimera División60
200210
China PR League
2002Shanghai ShenhuaJia-A League208
20032314
2004Super League146
2005216
Japan League
2006Omiya ArdijaJ. League 130
China PR League
2006Shanghai LianchengSuper League123
Honduras League
2006/07MotaguaLiga Nacional
China PR League
2007Shanghai ShenhuaSuper League72
Costa Rica League
2007/08HeredianoPrimera División81
Honduras League
2008/09MarathónLiga Nacional
2009/10
Country United States 8233
Honduras
Uruguay 70
China PR 9739
Japan 30
Costa Rica 81
Total 19773

International career

Martínez made his debut for Honduras in a July 2001 friendly match against Ecuador, in which he immediately scored a goal, and has earned a total of 35 caps, scoring 16 goals. He has represented his country in 11 FIFA World Cup qualification matches[9] and played at the 2007[10] and 2009 UNCAF Nations Cups[11] His international breakthrough however came during the 2001 Copa América, when Honduras surprisingly ended third and Martínez scored the second goal in the historic win over World Cup runners-up Brazil.[12]

His final international was a January 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup match against Panama.

International career statistics

Honduras national team
YearAppsGoals
200193
200224
200351
2004112
200511
200600
200734
200810
200931
Total3516

International goals

N. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 7 July 2001 Orange Bowl, Miami, USA  Ecuador 1–0 1–1 Friendly match
2 23 July 2001 Estadio Palogrande, Manizales, Colombia  Brazil 2–0 2–0 2001 Copa América
3 29 July 2001 Estadio Nemesio Camacho, Bogotá, Colombia  Uruguay 1–0 2–2 2001 Copa América
4 12 February 2002 Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, Hong Kong  Slovenia 1–0 5–1 Carlsberg Cup
5 12 February 2002 Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, Hong Kong  Slovenia 2–1 5–1 Carlsberg Cup
6 12 February 2002 Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, Hong Kong  Slovenia 3–1 5–1 Carlsberg Cup
7 12 February 2002 Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, Hong Kong  Slovenia 4–1 5–1 Carlsberg Cup
8 31 January 2003 Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras  Argentina 1–0 1–3 Friendly match
9 25 January 2004 Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, Hong Kong  Norway 1–1 1–3 Carlsberg Cup
10 18 August 2004 Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, Alajuela, Costa Rica  Costa Rica 5–2 5–2 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
11 7 September 2005 Miyagi Stadium, Rifu, Japan  Japan 3–1 4–5 Friendly match
12 27 January 2007 Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras  Denmark 1–1 1–1 Friendly match
13 15 February 2007 Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador  Nicaragua 6–1 9–1 2007 UNCAF Nations Cup
14 15 February 2007 Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador  Nicaragua 8–1 9–1 2007 UNCAF Nations Cup
15 15 February 2007 Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador  Nicaragua 9–1 9–1 2007 UNCAF Nations Cup
16 24 January 2009 Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras  Nicaragua 3–1 4–1 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup

Personal life

Saul is married and he and his wife, Roxana, have a baby boy, Joshua, born in September 2005 in Miami, Florida and two girls (twins), Kiara and Natalie, born in June 2009.

References

  1. ↑ MLS: Honduran-born forward Saul Martinez allocated to Miami – SoccerAmerica
  2. ↑ Saúl Martínez pierde título en China por sanción al Shanghai Shenhua – El Heraldo (Spanish)
  3. ↑ Saúl quiere jugar solo tres meses con Herediano – Prensa Libre (Spanish)
  4. ↑ Saúl Martínez como el vino, entre más añejo… – Fútbol de Honduras (Spanish)
  5. ↑ Saúl Martínez: “Para la semifinal estaré listo” – La Prensa (Spanish)
  6. ↑ Saúl regresa al Marathón – La Prensa (Spanish)
  7. ↑ Saúl Martínez: “Mejor me retiro que ganar menos” – La Prensa (Spanish)
  8. ↑ Miami United, Strikers, MLS Expansion – Miami Herald
  9. ↑ Saúl Martínez – FIFA competition record
  10. ↑ Qualifying Tournament for Gold Cup 2007 – Details – RSSSF
  11. ↑ UNCAF (Qualifying Tournament for Gold Cup) 2009 – Details – RSSSF
  12. ↑ Hace 10 años eliminamos a Brasil de Copa América – La Prensa (Spanish)

External links

Chinese Football Association Golden Boot awardee
Honduras
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