On Saturday afternoon at CenturyLink Field, Obafemi Martins scored two goals to break Sounders FC’s single-season scoring record in a 4-2 win over Chivas USA. Both were magical efforts in their own right, highlighting the many ways Martins has found to break the will of his opponents throughout his two seasons in Seattle.
Combining with Clint Dempsey, Seattle has not just an explosive scoring tandem, but also one that can leave teammates, opponents and fans in awe of the next trick they might unveil in their rampant scoring outbreaks.
“Both Obafemi and Clint are those playmakers that pull rabbits out of their hats, you just don’t know how,” Sounders FC defender DeAndre Yedlin said. “You need one of those guys on your team and luckily we have two of them. Those two are so key for us and we’re happy to have them.”
Martins came to Seattle amidst much fanfare last season. He was among the highest-profile players Seattle had signed in club history and lived up to the hype early, scoring six goals in his first 10 matches in Rave Green. However, his scoring pace would slow dramatically at the end of the season and he finished with eight goals in 20 appearances.
This year, he has proved that the first 10 matches were more indicative of what he could contribute to Sounders FC than his final 10.
In 27 matches this season he has 15 goals and 10 assists, putting him right in the midst of the league MVP conversation. That includes a current stretch that has seen the 29-year-old Nigerian score seven goals to go with three assists in the last seven matches, with his two goals on Saturday giving him three braces during that hot streak.
“He has had a good season. I think it shows that last year, at the end of last year, he was just fatigued from not getting a break—from going to the Russian season to the Spanish season to our season without a break. Now that he had a proper preseason and had that break in between I think he’s sustaining his effort and sustaining it at the end of the season,” Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid said. “He is a very important piece to our team and he and Clint are very good together.”
Martins’ 15 goals surpassed the 14-goal total Eddie Johnson amassed in 2012 to set the club record. Schmid is certain that Martins won’t rest on 15 goals – the most he has scored in a single season as a professional. In fact, with Dempsey close behind with 13 goals, Schmid thinks he may finish the season with two players above the 15-goal plateau.
“We’ve still got more games to go, so let’s not write it in yet,” he smirked on Saturday. “Clint is right there close to him as well, so we would like them both to get beyond what the old record was. I thought Oba played very well today, I thought he worked hard and it’s great. We are very proud of him.”
Martins and Dempsey have four matches left to improve their goal-scoring records and further help Seattle in its quest for the Supporters’ Shield. Sounders FC’s next match comes on Sunday, October 5 against the Colorado Rapids.
