Ariel Martínez (Cuban footballer)

Not to be confused with Ariel Martínez (Chilean footballer).

Ariel Pedro Martinez González (born 9 May 1986) is a Cuban footballer.

Ariel Martínez

Personal information
Full name	Ariel Pedro Martínez González
Date of birth	(1986-05-09) 9 May 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth	Sancti Spíritus, Cuba
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2015	Sancti Spíritus
2015	Charleston Battery	0	(0)
2016–2019	Miami FC	72	(15)
2020	FC Tulsa	15	(2)
2021	Miami FC	29	(6)
2022	Hartford Athletic	22	(9)
2023	Tampa Bay Rowdies	20	(2)
International career‡
2006–2015	Cuba	54	(11)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 November 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 July 2015

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Martinez and the second or maternal family name is González.

Club career

Following his defection from Cuba to the United States in July 2015,^[1][2] Martínez signed with United Soccer League club Charleston Battery,^[2] but was not cleared to play until late in the season due to issues with the processing of his documentation and work permit. Martínez made his only appearance for Charleston in a playoff loss to Louisville City before leaving the club at the end of 2015.

In March 2016, Martínez signed for North American Soccer League side Miami FC ahead of its inaugural season.^[3]

Martínez made the move to USL Championship side FC Tulsa on 18 December 2019.^[4]

On 19 January 2021, Miami, now competing in the USL Championship, announced Martínez had re-signed with the team for the 2021 season.^[5]

On 19 April, 2022, Hartford Athletic announced that they had signed Martínez for the remainder of the 2022 season, pending league and federation approval. ^[6]

Martínez signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies on 19 January 2023.^[7] Martínez was released by the Rowdies at the end of the 2023 season.^[8]

Martinez announced his retirement from the professional game on 15 January 2024.^[9]

International career

Martínez made his debut for Cuba in a September 2006 Gold Cup qualification match against the Turks and Caicos Islands. He was a squad member at the 2007 Gold Cup Finals.^[10] He has earned a total of 54 caps, scoring 11 goals,^[11] represented his country in 7 FIFA World Cup qualification matches^[12] and played at 3 CONCACAF Gold Cup final tournaments.

On 17 July 2015, it was confirmed that Martinez had, alongside teammates Keyler García, Arael Argüelles and Darío Suárez, defected to the United States following Cuba's victory over Guatemala in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.^[1]

Statistics

Career

As of 10 October 2020.^[13][14][15]

Club	Season	League			National Cup[a]		Other[b]		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Charleston Battery	2015	USL	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
Miami FC	2016	NASL	26	7	1	0	0	0	27	7
	2017		23	3	2	0	1	0	26	3
	2018	NPSL	9	3	3	0	5	1	17	4
	2019		8	2	1	1	6	7	15	10
	2019	NISA	6	0	-	-	1	1	7	1
	Total		72	15	7	1	13	9	92	25
FC Tulsa	2020	USLC	15	2	-	-	1	0	16	2
Career total			87	17	7	1	15	9	109	27

1. Includes appearances in U.S. Open Cup. Note, both the play-in and first round of the 2018 U.S. Open Cup are missing from Soccerway but are acknowledged by the team.^[16][17]
2. Includes appearances in the league playoffs.

International goals

Scores and results list Cuba's goal tally first.^[18]

No	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	4 September 2006	Estadio Pedro Marrero, La Habana, Cuba	Bahamas	4–0	6–0	2007 Caribbean Cup qualification
2.	6 September 2006		Cayman Islands	5–0	7–0
3.				4–0
4.	14 November 2012	Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, Trinidad and Tobago	Suriname	3–0	5–0	2012 Caribbean Cup qualification
5.	10 December 2012	Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda	French Guiana	1–0	2–0	2012 Caribbean Cup
6.				2–0
7.	16 July 2013	Rentschler Field, East Hartford, United States	Belize	1–0	4–0	2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
8.				2–0
9.				3–0
10.	11 November 2014	Montego Bay Sports Complex, Montego Bay, Jamaica	French Guiana	1–0	1–1	2014 Caribbean Cup
11.	18 November 2014		Haiti	1–2	1–2

References

1. MLSsoccer Staff. "Gold Cup: Striker Ariel Martinez becomes the fourth player to defect from Cuba". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
2. "Battery sign Cuban star striker – and defector – Ariel Martinez". ABC. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
3. "CUBAN NATIONAL ARIEL MARTINEZ JOINS MIAMI FC ROSTER". miamifc.com. Miami FC. 12 March 2016. Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
4. "FC Tulsa Signs Two Former Cuba National Team Forwards". fctulsa.com. FC Tulsa. 17 December 2019. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
5. Communications, Miami FC (19 January 2021). "Miami FC Announce Return of Attacking Threat Ariel Martinez". Miami FC. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
6. Communications, Hartford Athletic (19 April 2022). "Hartford Athletic Sign Cuban Striker Ariel Martínez". Hartford Athletic. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
7. "Rowdies Boost Attack with Veteran Ariel Martinez". RowdiesSoccer.com. Tampa Bay Rowdies. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
8. "Rowdies Announce Roster Update". RowdiesSoccer.com. Tampa Bay Rowdies. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
9. Martínez, Ariel. ""Hoy le doy gracias al futbol por todo lo que me dió. Le agradezco a todos los compañeros que conocí en mi trayectoria en el deporte y a todas las instituciones por las que pasé. Siempre estare eternamente agradecido!"". Twitter.com. Ariel Martínez. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
10. CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2007 – Full Details – RSSSF
11. "Appearances for Cuba National Team". RSSSF.
12. Ariel Martínez – FIFA competition record (archived)
13. Ariel Martínez at Soccerway
14. "Miami FC 2 2018 Match Reports". npsl.bonzidev.com. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
15. "Miami FC 2019 Match Reports". npsl.bonzidev.com. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
16. "RECAP: THE MIAMI FC WINS 3-1, ADVANCES TO FIRST ROUND OF OPEN CUP". Miami FC. 6 May 2018. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
17. "RECAP: THE MIAMI FC BEATS RED FORCE FC 4-0, ADVANCES TO SECOND ROUND OF OPEN CUP". Miami FC. 9 May 2018. Archived from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
18. "Martínez, Ariel". National Football Teams. Retrieved 30 November 2017.