Columbus Crew SC’s Wednesday match against the Chicago Fire in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup provided several Black & Gold players with a valuable opportunity to get some minutes in the 2018 season as the team fielded a reserve lineup.
That was not necessarily the case for Cristian Martínez, who has started in 10 of the team’s 15 MLS games so far, but the Panamanian also approached the match with a mindset of urgency. That’s because the 21-year-old winger is suspended in MLS and not only missed last weekend’s match against Toronto FC but will also be sidelined next Saturday against the New York Red Bulls.