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) | ||
| Playing position | 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) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2001–2009 | Honduras | 35 | (16) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Saúl Asael Martínez Álvarez (born 29 January 1976) is a former football forward from Honduras. He was known for his speed and was nicknamed Speedy. He last played for Marathón.
Contents
Saúl Martínez's Football Journey
Saúl Martínez was born in Colón, Honduras. He began his football career with a team called Melgar in the Honduran second division. Later, he moved to the United States to play for the Long Island Rough Riders.
In 1999, he joined the Major League Soccer team Miami Fusion. His first game in Honduras's top league, the Liga Nacional, was on 10 December 2000. He played for Olimpia against Broncos.
Playing in China
Martínez caught the eye of Shanghai Shenhua in early 2002. This happened when he scored four goals against Slovenia during a tournament in Hong Kong called the Lunar New Year Cup. Shanghai Shenhua quickly signed him.
Saúl Martínez became a very important player for Shanghai Shenhua. He played in Asia for five years. He helped Shanghai Shenhua win the 2003 Chinese league title. This title was later removed from the club's records. He also won the 2003 Golden Boot Award for scoring the most goals.
Later Club Teams
In January 2008, Martínez played for Herediano in Costa Rica for three 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. He finished the season 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. He joined a new team called Miami United in the National Premier Soccer League.
Playing for Honduras
Martínez first played for the Honduras national team in July 2001. It was a friendly game against Ecuador, and he scored a goal right away!
He played a total of 35 games for his country and scored 16 goals. He also played in 11 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. He took part in the 2007 and 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup tournaments.
His biggest moment for Honduras was during the 2001 Copa América. Honduras surprisingly finished third in this tournament. Martínez scored a goal in their amazing 2–0 win against Brazil, who had been World Cup finalists.
His last game for the national team was in January 2009 against Panama.
Honours and Awards
Saúl Martínez won several awards and titles during his career:
- Nacional Montevideo
- Uruguayan Primera División: 2001, 2002
- Shanghai Shenhua
- Chinese Jia-A League: 2003 (title later removed from records)
- C.D. Marathón
- Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras: 2008–09 (Apertura tournament)
See also
In Spanish: Saúl Martínez para niños
