Earthquakes Forward Josef Martínez Voted MLS Player of the Matchday Presented by Michelob Ultra for Matchday 7

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MLS San Jose Earthquakes

Earthquakes Forward Josef Martínez Voted MLS Player of the Matchday Presented by Michelob Ultra for Matchday 7

April 7, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
San Jose Earthquakes News Release


SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose Earthquakes forward Josef Martínez was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra for Matchday 7 of the 2025 MLS season. In addition, Martínez was selected alongside Earthquakes team captain Cristian Espinoza to the MLS Team of the Matchday.

In a rematch of the inaugural MLS match played on April 6, 1996, Martínez scored his seventh career hat trick as the San Jose Earthquakes produced a seismic result in a 6-1 victory over D.C. United on Sunday afternoon (Watch highlights from his performance HERE). Martínez's seven hat tricks are the most by a single player in league history, with a group of players tied for second place with five, a list that includes Quakes legend Chris Wondolowski. Martínez, who bagged his last hat trick on July 21, 2018, recorded his first hat trick in six years and 259 days, the second-longest span between hat tricks in MLS history. Only Dwayne De Rosario had a longer period between hat tricks, going seven years and 313 days between from Sept. 27, 2003, to Aug. 6, 2011.

The 31-year-old Venezuelan now has 120 career MLS goals and surpassed Bradley Wright-Phillips (117) for sole possession of sixth place on the league's all-time scoring leaderboard with his first goal of the evening. Martínez now sits 13 goals shy of tying Jaime Moreno (133) for the fifth most in league history.

San Jose jumped out to a 1-0 advantage within eight minutes and Martínez doubled the lead in the 16th minute when he slotted home a finish on the counterattack. The Black and Blue extended their lead to 3-0 with a penalty kick from Espinoza. The goal by Espinoza was enough to surpass Landon Donovan for sole possession of the fourth-place spot in all-time club goals. After D.C. and San Jose exchanged goals at the end of the first half, Martínez put the game out of reach in the 81st minute, as he found space in the 18-yard box and dispatched his shot past the D.C. goalkeeper for a 4-1 Quakes lead. San Jose added a fifth goal before the Venezuelan completed his seventh career MLS hat trick as he received a lofted pass from Espinoza and proceeded to chip the goalkeeper to finish off the 6-1 victory. Espinoza is currently tied for first in league assists (5) with Pep Biel of Charlotte FC.

With the honor, Martínez becomes the sixth player in MLS history to be named MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra at least 10 times, joining Landon Donovan (19), Jeff Cunningham (14), Bradley Wright-Phillips (12), Chris Wondolowski (11) and Dwayne De Rosario (10). This is the first time Martínez has earned the award since Matchday 29 of 2019 with Atlanta United and he is the first San Jose player to be named Player of the Matchday since Jamiro Monteiro in 2022 (Matchday 12). Meanwhile, Espinoza earns his 22nd career selection to the Team of the Matchday.

The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an Instagram fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.

The Black and Blue will now travel to Southern California this Saturday, April 12, to face Los Angeles Football Club. Kickoff from BMO Stadium will take place at 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (English/Spanish), as well as on local radio via KSFO 810 AM (English) and 1370 AM La Kaliente (Spanish).

MLS TEAM OF THE MATCHDAY (MATCHDAY 7)

Forwards: Josef Martínez (SJ), Dejan Joveljić (SKC), Jacen Russell-Rowe (CLB)

Midfielders: Federico Bernardeschi (TOR), Diego Luna (RSL), Wil Trapp (MIN), Chucky Lozano (SD)

Defenders: Lukas Engel (CIN), Tristan Blackmon (VAN), Griffin Dorsey (HOU)

Goalkeeper: Carlos Coronel (RBNY)

Coach: Kerry Zavagnin (SKC)

Bench: Brad Stuver (ATX), Omar Valencia (RBNY), Jeppe Tverskov (SD), Joaquín Pereyra (MIN), Jack McGlynn (HOU), Manu García (SKC), Cristian Espinoza (SJ), Idan Toklomati (CLT), Petar Musa (DAL)

2025 MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra Winners

Matchday Player Club

Matchday 1 Anders Dreyer San Diego FC

Matchday 2 Tai Baribo Philadelphia Union

Matchday 3 Roman Bürki St. Louis CITY SC

Matchday 4 Tani Oluwaseyi Minnesota United FC

Matchday 5 Pep Biel Charlotte FC

Matchday 6 Djordje Mihailovic Colorado Rapids

Matchday 7 Josef Martínez San Jose Earthquakes

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