Martins Makes MLS Team of the Season

Nigeria international striker Obafemi Martins has been named in Major League Soccer’s team of the 2014 season.

Martins, 30, reached double figures in a single league season for the first time since leaving the San Siro, setting a club record with 17 goals (fifth in MLS) in the process. His 13 assists- joint fifth in division- equaled the club’s record for a single season set by Mauro Rosales in 2012.

His five multi-goal games were tied for second in MLS, and his four game-winning assists were tied for fourth. The forward started 29 of his 31 appearances in 2014 and accumulated 2,600 minutes, and Sounders FC won all 12 games in which Martins scored a goal.

The final lineup, voted for by players, reporters and club officials, included six Americans. Los Angeles Galaxy’s midfielder Landon Donovan, and Seattle defender Chad Marshall are named in the MLS Best XI. Other Americans in the team are; New England midfielder Lee Nguyen, Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez, D.C. United defender Bobby Boswell and D.C. goalkeeper Bill Hamid.

Obafemi Martins Says He Feels At Home With Sounders. Image: AFP.
Obafemi Martins Says He Feels At Home With Sounders. Image: AFP.

Irish striker Robbie Keane, who scored an MLS career-high 19 goals for Galaxy, Englishman Bradley Wright-Phillips of New York Red Bulls and his ex-France international team-mate Thierry Henry were among the non US players on the MLS team.

Argentinean midfielder Diego Valeri of Portland netted 11 goals to appear in the final XI for the second time after being named last year’s MLS Newcomer of the Year.