Even the best goal scorers sometimes need a bounce to go there way. That happened to reigning MLS MVP Josef Martinez in Atlanta on Wednesday night.
Atlanta was holding a 1-0 lead over Minnesota in stoppage time when Martinez double the lead, getting a shot off in front of Ike Opara.
That wasn't it.
Minutes later, Atlanta's Leandro Gonzalez Pirez cleared a ball from his own end toward midfield, where Minnesota's Ike Opara appeared to flick the ball back to his own half. The only player around was Martinez, who found himself on a solo breakaway before slotting the ball past Vito Mannone to complete his brace and close out the 3-0 home win (watch at top).
"It’s hard as a forward when you get so many chances but you miss, you miss and you miss. You just have to keep trying," Martinez said after the match. "I was happy, especially on that second one. I was just walking and the ball found me. It was like a glass of rum I didn’t have to order, it was just there."
Last year's leading scorer now has four goals in his last four games and eight on the season.
Joe Patrick provided reporting to this piece.
