Alonso Martínez [Forward]

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Name: Alonso Martínez
Joined Club: 8/4/2023
Position: Forward
Number: 16

1691161795449.png

New York City Football Club acquires Forward Alonso Martínez from Lommel SK on a permanent contract through the 2025 season with options for 2026 and 2027. Martínez will join NYCFC pending the receipt of his ITC and P-1 Visa.

Announcement: New York City Football Club Signs Costa Rican Forward Alonso Martínez | New York City FC

MLSsoccer.com profile: Alonso Martínez | MLSsoccer.com

TransferMarkt profile: Alonso Martínez - Player profile 23/24

Twitter:
 
That incredible scissor kick goal in tonight's match was a reminder I forgot to post this after my trip to Madrid a couple months ago.
Three stops away from the Bernabeu on the #10 line is a station named "Alonso Martinez"
I'll let those more clever than me come up with the tifo and/or chant, but too bad they gave the #10 shirt back to Maxi already!PXL_20250119_133551747.jpgPXL_20250119_181713483.jpg
 
bjb said:
That incredible scissor kick goal in tonight's match was a reminder I forgot to post this after my trip to Madrid a couple months ago.
Three stops away from the Bernabeu on the #10 line is a station named "Alonso Martinez"
I'll let those more clever than me come up with the tifo and/or chant, but too bad they gave the #10 shirt back to Maxi already!View attachment 13802View attachment 13803
Click to expand...
Alonso to Real Madrid confirmed
 
Somehow I never took notice that Martinez came to us from another CFG team. Now that I have realized this, his path to us and even since is maybe more of a mystery. We paid far less for him than any other recent offensive acquisition -- bargain basement really. The year before he transferred he averaged 0.36 G/90 in the Belgian second division. That's solid enough but consistent with his low transfer price.

I don't think David Lee saw something in Martinez that nobody else in CFG saw and arranged a steal of a deal. I think we just got lucky. Lee's quote in the club announcement said Martinez was acquired to "add more depth and competition to our front line." That's what you say for a backup. Nobody expected him to be by far the best forward obtained over a 2 year period of many forward acquisitions. He barely played the back end of 2023 or even early 2024. Andres Jasson often got the start over Alonso. Some like to add this to Nick's litany of failure's but really, without knowing what Alonso showed in training that's kind of unfair, as nobody to that point in his career had shown much belief in Martinez and he gave everyone limited reason to do so.

My working assumption was Cushing finally decided to try Alonso as a 9 for the same reason he tried Talles as a 9 a year earlier: there were no other options. But I have no theory for why he suddenly blossomed. I cannot believe Belgium Second Division is better than MLS. Nor do I believe he needed a better offensive team to work within, because, NYCFC has not been a particularly great or even good offensive team since Martinez showed up - not even last year. Mediocre has been the best we've managed. A lot of his goals come from pressing - both his and his teammates. He has an uncanny knack for being in the right spot to pounce on open balls and has an outstanding finish when the other team is on the back foot, whether because they just turned it over or a fast break. Maybe Lommel SK didn't play this way despite being a CFG club?

Obviously I'm thrilled it happened as it did, but I also like to make sense of things.
 
mgarbowski said:
Somehow I never took notice that Martinez came to us from another CFG team. Now that I have realized this, his path to us and even since is maybe more of a mystery. We paid far less for him than any other recent offensive acquisition -- bargain basement really. The year before he transferred he averaged 0.36 G/90 in the Belgian second division. That's solid enough but consistent with his low transfer price.

I don't think David Lee saw something in Martinez that nobody else in CFG saw and arranged a steal of a deal. I think we just got lucky. Lee's quote in the club announcement said Martinez was acquired to "add more depth and competition to our front line." That's what you say for a backup. Nobody expected him to be by far the best forward obtained over a 2 year period of many forward acquisitions. He barely played the back end of 2023 or even early 2024. Andres Jasson often got the start over Alonso. Some like to add this to Nick's litany of failure's but really, without knowing what Alonso showed in training that's kind of unfair, as nobody to that point in his career had shown much belief in Martinez and he gave everyone limited reason to do so.

My working assumption was Cushing finally decided to try Alonso as a 9 for the same reason he tried Talles as a 9 a year earlier: there were no other options. But I have no theory for why he suddenly blossomed. I cannot believe Belgium Second Division is better than MLS. Nor do I believe he needed a better offensive team to work within, because, NYCFC has not been a particularly great or even good offensive team since Martinez showed up - not even last year. Mediocre has been the best we've managed. A lot of his goals come from pressing - both his and his teammates. He has an uncanny knack for being in the right spot to pounce on open balls and has an outstanding finish when the other team is on the back foot, whether because they just turned it over or a fast break. Maybe Lommel SK didn't play this way despite being a CFG club?

Obviously I'm thrilled it happened as it did, but I also like to make sense of things.
Click to expand...

I think in one of the interviews, it was Martinez who went to cushing and said, "I want to be the #9" and that's when cushing took a chance and gave it a try and the rest is history.

If my memory is correct (hah), then I think the simplest answer is that he wanted to play, he saw an opportunity to get minutes, and he worked his ass off to make it his own. i credit his hard work and desire but also some luck.

I'll see if I can find the interview

EDIT:

ok here's the interview I recalled and it's a bit confusing. MLS writes that Cushing asked Martinez to play there, but Martinez's actual words said he made the initiative and spoke to cushing about playing there. not sure which is true.

www.mlssoccer.com

Alonso Martínez thrives after "very big change" at New York City FC | MLSSoccer.com

They say time moves slower on Isla Chira.
www.mlssoccer.com www.mlssoccer.com

1743348754994.png
 
Last edited:
mgarbowski said:
Somehow I never took notice that Martinez came to us from another CFG team. Now that I have realized this, his path to us and even since is maybe more of a mystery. We paid far less for him than any other recent offensive acquisition -- bargain basement really. The year before he transferred he averaged 0.36 G/90 in the Belgian second division. That's solid enough but consistent with his low transfer price.

I don't think David Lee saw something in Martinez that nobody else in CFG saw and arranged a steal of a deal. I think we just got lucky. Lee's quote in the club announcement said Martinez was acquired to "add more depth and competition to our front line." That's what you say for a backup. Nobody expected him to be by far the best forward obtained over a 2 year period of many forward acquisitions. He barely played the back end of 2023 or even early 2024. Andres Jasson often got the start over Alonso. Some like to add this to Nick's litany of failure's but really, without knowing what Alonso showed in training that's kind of unfair, as nobody to that point in his career had shown much belief in Martinez and he gave everyone limited reason to do so.

My working assumption was Cushing finally decided to try Alonso as a 9 for the same reason he tried Talles as a 9 a year earlier: there were no other options. But I have no theory for why he suddenly blossomed. I cannot believe Belgium Second Division is better than MLS. Nor do I believe he needed a better offensive team to work within, because, NYCFC has not been a particularly great or even good offensive team since Martinez showed up - not even last year. Mediocre has been the best we've managed. A lot of his goals come from pressing - both his and his teammates. He has an uncanny knack for being in the right spot to pounce on open balls and has an outstanding finish when the other team is on the back foot, whether because they just turned it over or a fast break. Maybe Lommel SK didn't play this way despite being a CFG club?

Obviously I'm thrilled it happened as it did, but I also like to make sense of things.
Click to expand...
THIS ^^^
 
moogoo said:
ok here's the interview I recalled and it's a bit confusing. MLS writes that Cushing asked Martinez to play there, but Martinez's actual words said he made the initiative and spoke to cushing about playing there. not sure which is true.
Click to expand...
Almost everyone has some main character syndrome in them. It was probably a back and forth or even a series of conversations. Then they each make themself the prime actor behind it.
 
mgarbowski said:
Somehow I never took notice that Martinez came to us from another CFG team. Now that I have realized this, his path to us and even since is maybe more of a mystery. We paid far less for him than any other recent offensive acquisition -- bargain basement really. The year before he transferred he averaged 0.36 G/90 in the Belgian second division. That's solid enough but consistent with his low transfer price.

I don't think David Lee saw something in Martinez that nobody else in CFG saw and arranged a steal of a deal. I think we just got lucky. Lee's quote in the club announcement said Martinez was acquired to "add more depth and competition to our front line." That's what you say for a backup. Nobody expected him to be by far the best forward obtained over a 2 year period of many forward acquisitions. He barely played the back end of 2023 or even early 2024. Andres Jasson often got the start over Alonso. Some like to add this to Nick's litany of failure's but really, without knowing what Alonso showed in training that's kind of unfair, as nobody to that point in his career had shown much belief in Martinez and he gave everyone limited reason to do so.

My working assumption was Cushing finally decided to try Alonso as a 9 for the same reason he tried Talles as a 9 a year earlier: there were no other options. But I have no theory for why he suddenly blossomed. I cannot believe Belgium Second Division is better than MLS. Nor do I believe he needed a better offensive team to work within, because, NYCFC has not been a particularly great or even good offensive team since Martinez showed up - not even last year. Mediocre has been the best we've managed. A lot of his goals come from pressing - both his and his teammates. He has an uncanny knack for being in the right spot to pounce on open balls and has an outstanding finish when the other team is on the back foot, whether because they just turned it over or a fast break. Maybe Lommel SK didn't play this way despite being a CFG club?

Obviously I'm thrilled it happened as it did, but I also like to make sense of things.
Click to expand...

Well said. I completely agree—there’s no way to pin this on Cushing. Alonso was brought in as a depth winger, having played exclusively in that role during his time in Belgium. He was announced, listed, and likely trained as a winger every day. The idea that Cushing somehow overlooked his potential in the middle doesn’t hold up—if that were the case, every coach Alonso played under before arriving here also "missed" it.

If anything, this reflects even more poorly on Lee. His only highly productive attacking signing turned out to be a complete accident. Imagine where our offense would be if he hadn’t lucked into Martinez—when he intentionally targeted strikers, we ended up with Bakrar and Jovan.
 
gbservis said:
Well said. I completely agree—there’s no way to pin this on Cushing. Alonso was brought in as a depth winger, having played exclusively in that role during his time in Belgium. He was announced, listed, and likely trained as a winger every day. The idea that Cushing somehow overlooked his potential in the middle doesn’t hold up—if that were the case, every coach Alonso played under before arriving here also "missed" it.

If anything, this reflects even more poorly on Lee. His only highly productive attacking signing turned out to be a complete accident. Imagine where our offense would be if he hadn’t lucked into Martinez—when he intentionally targeted strikers, we ended up with Bakrar and Jovan.
Click to expand...
I agree, but want to Clarify the Cushing bit was a digression in my discussion. The focus was Alonso’s weird progression.
 
mgarbowski said:
I agree, but want to Clarify the Cushing bit was a digression in my discussion. The focus was Alonso’s weird progression.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the guy's whole career has been a strange, almost improbable progression:

Bounces around Costa Rica (17-22 years old, 4 clubs in 5 years)
2015-2016 - Puntarenas F.C. (Costa Rican 1st Division)
2016-2017 - Alajuelense (Costa Rican 1st Division)
2017-2018 - (Loan) COFUTPA (Costa Rican 2nd Division)
2018-2020 - (Loan) Guadalupe (Costa Rican 1st Division)

2021 it looks like he's bought by Lommel S.K. but loaned back to Alajuelense (maybe to finish out the season?)
2021-2023 - Lommel (Belgian second division, 35 appearances, 4 goals)

5 clubs in 7 years, only 3 appearances total for Costa Rican youth teams, and that was all before he got to NYCFC at 24 years old and started his weird progression you detailed, from back up winger to one of the best strikers in MLS. His resume reads like a guy that worked his tail off to get where he is now and was for sure a late bloomer. It would be interesting for someone to interview him about his career and how he got to this point.
 
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