By Matt Gaschk

In Seattle, Mario Martinez is a long way from San Pedro Sula, Honduras.  So a trip to his hometown to face CD Marathon in the CONCACAF Champions League was just what he needed before the busy last stretch for the Sounders FC.

When Mario Martinez came to the Sounders FC on loan from Real España in Honduras, it was just a matter of coincidence that just a month after he joined the team he would be returning to his hometown to face his top rivals in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Last week, he joined the Sounders in squaring off against CD Marathon in the CCL group stage in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and he got a hero’s welcome with his new club.

“It’s great to be able to go home and spend time with family and friends.  They have always given a lot of support and love and attention,” Martinez said.  “I love having that relationship with the fans and that’s something that I’m excited about, but I’m also thankful that I have the opportunity to come to Seattle and continue to grow and develop.”

Martinez gained fame in his home country in 2008 when at 19 years old he was the youngest player on the Honduras Olympic squad.  He also represented Honduras in the 2012 games this summer in England, helping Honduras reach the quarterfinals, where they fell to Brazil.

His rising star earned him previous loan deals with Valerenga in Norway and Anderlecht in Belgium and a high profile in Honduran soccer.

He certainly lived up to his billing in Seattle’s 3-2 win over Marathon last week, whipping in a ball to Sammy Ochoa for an assist in the 11th minute to lift Seattle to the early lead.  It was just his fourth appearance for the Sounders, but the moment belied his short time with the team, as building cohesion with a new player always takes time.

“I think it’s going to be an adjustment period with anybody, no matter what their quality is.  He’s a high quality player, he’s going to come in and play a special role for us,” midfielder Brad Evans said.  “For us, it’s going to take time.  For him, it’s going to take time, but you can see that he’s a player that wants to play one-two touch.  He’s on the right team if you want to play with the ball on the ground.  He’s going to fit in well.”

Added Ochoa, the benefactor of his pinpoint cross against Marathon, “He’s a good player.  He’s good on the ball, he likes to touch the ball a lot, get one-twos.  His free kicks are good, his crossing is good - he’s a good addition to the team.”

Now with the trip home behind him, Martinez has his focus on helping the Sounders finish the season strong as they aim for a deep playoff run.

“It was great going home.  The most important thing was getting three points at Marathon,” Martinez said.  “Now I’m excited to get back to Seattle and work to get into the first eleven and gain respect every day.”

Martinez and the Sounders will meet the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place in Vancouver on Saturday before returning home for their final match in the Cascadia Cup derby against the Portland Timbers at CenturyLink Field on Sunday, October 7.