Atlanta's Martinez smashes MLS single-season record with 28th goal
Josef Martinez is Major League Soccer's new single-season goal king.
The Atlanta United forward bagged his 28th goal of the campaign Friday against Orlando City, vaulting the Venezuelan past Roy Lassiter, Chris Wondolowski, and Bradley Wright-Phillips, who'd all previously shared the record at 27 goals apiece.
Related: Ranking the 7 best goals from Martinez's record-breaking season
It was a fitting way for Martinez to establish the mark. His first touch collected Julian Gressel's pass, his second slid the ball past experienced defender Jonathan Spector, and his third was a luscious lift over Joe Bendik between the sticks.
Josef Martinez of @ATLUTD has scored his 28th goal of the season, setting the all-time #MLS single season goalscoring record.
— MLS Communications (@MLS_PR) August 25, 2018
Martinez has also scored in a ninth consecutive match, tying the league record (set last year by Diego Valeri of the Portland Timbers).
Martinez has unsurprisingly drawn admiring glances from across the Atlantic this year despite a difficult period at Torino before his shift to MLS. Incredibly, there are still eight matches remaining in the current regular season, giving the 25-year-old time to pad his record before the playoffs.
The goal was also precious for Atlanta's hopes of clinching the Supporters' Shield. Following the 2-1 win at Orlando, they're now five points clear of the New York Red Bulls for the best record across the two conferences in MLS.