The lethal duo of Josef Martinez and Miguel Almirón was at it again this weekend, catching the attention of league writers as both players were named to the MLS Team of the Week.
Propelling Atlanta United to a 3-1 victory over Philadelphia Saturday and highlighting the night was the hat trick hero himself, Josef Martinez. After slotting home two penalties and latching onto the end of an Almirón cross, not only does he now lead the MLS Golden Boot race with 12 on the season, his 5th three-goal performance in his MLS career tied an all-time league record for hat tricks. Since joining the league with Atlanta in 2017, the Venezuelan international is proving to be one of the most prolific scorers the MLS has ever seen averaging nearly a goal a game with 31 in 34, and he's shown no signs of slowing down.
While Martinez's historic benchmark grabbed the headlines Saturday night, Almirón dominated the center of the park, acting yet again as the spark in the Atlanta United flame. The Paraguayan playmaker has dazzled the fans since entering MLS last season earning the league's Newcomer of the Year award, and with his beautiful cutback assist on the 2nd goal Saturday night, he now has six assists to match just as many goals. Almirón's ability to create off the dribble, his prowess in the attacking third, along with his tireless work rate led him to earn the MLS Player of the Month award in April and he continues to show week in and week out why he belongs in the 2018 MVP conversation.
The full Team of the Week:
