Atlanta United striker Josef Martinez has been voted the MLS Player of the Month presented by EA SPORTS™ by members of the media after scoring an incredible nine goals and one assist to lead the Five Stripes to a 3-1-1 record in July.
The runaway MLS Golden Boot leader has recorded 24 goals to go along with three assists this year and is on pace to obliterate the league’s all-time single-season scoring record of 27, jointly held by Roy Lassiter, Chris Wondolowski and Bradley Wright-Phillips.
Most recently, Martinez set an MLS record by scoring the most career hat tricks when he bagged his sixth in a 3-1 win over D.C. United on July 21 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta are currently riding a four-game unbeaten streak and sit in first place in both the Supporters’ Shield and Eastern Conference standings with 47 points (14-4-5).
In July, Martinez was the lone goalscorer for Atlanta United in a 3-2 loss at FC Dallas on July 4, scoring a brace before Tesho Akindele responded with two late goals of his own to steal the three points for FCD. A few days later Martinez got Atlanta back on track with a penalty kick in the 58th minute in a 2-0 win against the Philadelphia Union on July 7.
The Venezuelan showcased his talents once again when he scored Atlanta’s tying goal via an impressive header in a 1-1 draw with the Seattle Sounders on July 15. A week later Martinez made MLS history when he recorded his hat trick against D.C., and completed the month with two goals in a 2-1 road win over the Montreal Impact on July 28.
Martinez and ATLUTD return to action on Saturday, when they host Toronto FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (4 pm ET | ESPN, TSN4 — Full TV and streaming info).
MLS Player of the Month presented by EA SPORTS™ is voted upon by a panel of select national media members in a process conducted by MLS Communications.
