Saúl Martínez facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Saúl Asael Martínez Álvarez | ||
| Date of birth | 29 January 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Colón, Honduras | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| 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) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2001–2009 | Honduras | 35 | (16) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2008-09-27 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 2009-01-30 |
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Saúl Asael Martínez Álvarez (born on January 29, 1976) is a former football player from Honduras. He was known for playing as a forward, which means he was one of the main attackers on the team, trying to score goals. Saúl Martínez played for many different clubs in several countries, including the United States, Uruguay, China, Japan, and Costa Rica. He also proudly represented his home country, Honduras, in international matches.
Contents
Saúl Martínez's Football Journey
Saúl Martínez, often called Speedy because of his quickness, was born in Colón, Honduras. He began his football journey with a team called Melgar in the second division of Honduran football. After that, he moved to the United States to play for the Long Island Rough Riders.
Playing for Clubs
In 1999, Saúl Martínez joined the Major League Soccer team Miami Fusion. His first game in the top Honduran league, the Liga Nacional, was on December 10, 2000. He played for Olimpia against a team called Broncos.
His Time in China
Saúl Martínez caught the eye of the Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua in early 2002. This happened when he scored four goals in a tournament in Hong Kong. Shanghai Shenhua quickly signed him, and he became a very important player for their team. He played in Asia for five years.
With Shanghai Shenhua, he won the Chinese league title in 2003. However, this title was later removed from the club. He also won the Golden Boot Award in 2003, which means he was the top goal scorer in the league that year.
Back in Honduras and Retirement
In January 2008, Saúl Martínez joined the Costa Rican team Herediano for a few months. After that, he played for Marathón for a couple of seasons.
He made a surprising return to football in 2010 with Victoria. Even at 34 years old, he was one of the top goal scorers in the league, finishing second with 11 goals. In July 2011, he returned to play for Marathón again. He officially retired from football at the end of 2011. However, in 2013, he decided to play again and joined a new team called Miami United in the United States.
Playing for His Country
Saúl Martínez first played for the Honduras national team in July 2001 in a friendly match against Ecuador. He scored a goal right away in that game! He played a total of 35 matches for his country and scored 16 goals.
He played in 11 matches that were part of the FIFA World Cup qualification process. He also played in the 2007 and 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup tournaments. A big moment in his international career was during the 2001 Copa América. Honduras surprisingly finished third in that tournament, and Saúl Martínez scored a goal in their amazing 2-0 win against Brazil, who had been World Cup runners-up. His last international game was in January 2009 against Panama.
Awards and Achievements
Saúl Martínez won several important titles during his career:
- Nacional Montevideo
- Uruguayan Primera División: 2001, 2002
- Shanghai Shenhua
- Chinese Jia-A League: 2003 (title later removed)
- C.D. Marathón
- Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras: 2008–09 (Apertura tournament)
See also
In Spanish: Saúl Martínez para niños
