Saúl Martínez

Saúl Asael Martínez Álvarez (American Spanish: [saˈul maɾˈtines]; born 29 January 1976) is a Honduran football forward who plays for USA fourth tier-side Miami United.

Saúl Martínez
Personal information
Full name Saúl Asael Martínez Álvarez
Date of birth (1976-01-29) 29 January 1976
Place of birth Colón, Honduras
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Playing position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Miami United
Youth career
1995–1996 Melgar
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1998 Long Island Rough Riders 41 (13)
1999 Miami Fusion 15 (4)
1999–2000 Hampton Roads Mariners 26 (16)
2000 Olimpia 5 (1)
2001 Motagua 17 (8)
2001–2002 Nacional 7 (0)
2002–2005 Shanghai Shenhua 86 (36)
2006 Omiya Ardija 3 (0)
2006–2007 Shanghai United 12 (3)
2007 Motagua (1)
2007 Shanghai Shenhua 7 (2)
2008 Herediano 8 (1)
2008–2010 Marathón 24 (9)
2010–2011 Victoria 14 (14)
2011 Marathón 6 (2)
2013– Miami United
National team‡
2001–2009 Honduras 35 (16)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2008-09-27
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 2009-01-30
This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Martínez and the second or maternal family name is Álvarez.

Club career

Nicknamed Speedy, Saúl Martínez was born in Colón, Honduras. He 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

Martínez first attracted the attentions of Shanghai Shenhua when he scored four goals 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 F.C. 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]

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 both goals in the historic win over World Cup runners-up Brazil.[12]

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

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.

Career statistics

Club
Club performance League
Season Club League AppsGoals
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 ArdijaJ1 League30
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
CountryUnited States 8233
Honduras
Uruguay 70
China PR 9739
Japan 30
Costa Rica 81
Total 19773

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

International goals
N.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
17 July 2001Orange Bowl, Miami, USA Ecuador1–01–1Friendly match
223 July 2001Estadio Palogrande, Manizales, Colombia Brazil2–02–02001 Copa América
329 July 2001Estadio Nemesio Camacho, Bogotá, Colombia Uruguay1–02–22001 Copa América
412 February 2002Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, Hong Kong Slovenia1–05–1Carlsberg Cup
512 February 2002Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, Hong Kong Slovenia2–15–1Carlsberg Cup
612 February 2002Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, Hong Kong Slovenia3–15–1Carlsberg Cup
712 February 2002Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, Hong Kong Slovenia4–15–1Carlsberg Cup
831 January 2003Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras Argentina1–01–3Friendly match
925 January 2004Hong Kong Stadium, So Kon Po, Hong Kong Norway1–11–3Carlsberg Cup
1018 August 2004Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, Alajuela, Costa Rica Costa Rica5–25–22006 FIFA World Cup qualification
117 September 2005Miyagi Stadium, Rifu, Japan Japan3–14–5Friendly match
1227 January 2007Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Denmark1–11–1Friendly match
1315 February 2007Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador Nicaragua6–19–12007 UNCAF Nations Cup
1415 February 2007Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador Nicaragua8–19–12007 UNCAF Nations Cup
1515 February 2007Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador Nicaragua9–19–12007 UNCAF Nations Cup
1624 January 2009Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Nicaragua3–14–12009 UNCAF Nations Cup

Honours

Nacional Montevideo

Shanghai Shenhua

C.D. Marathón

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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 (in Spanish)
  3. Saúl quiere jugar solo tres meses con Herediano – Prensa Libre (in Spanish)
  4. Saúl Martínez como el vino, entre más añejo… – Fútbol de Honduras (in Spanish)
  5. Saúl Martínez: “Para la semifinal estaré listo” – La Prensa (in Spanish)
  6. Saúl regresa al Marathón – La Prensa (in Spanish)
  7. Saúl Martínez: “Mejor me retiro que ganar menos” – La Prensa (in 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 (in Spanish)
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