This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Sandy • Burrito Martinez baited a defender, and by now if you've watched the 30-year-old Argentine, you know that if the ensuing move comes off, it could make for a moment worth hitting replay online — maybe even a few times.

It was similar to the moment Martinez had on the First of July, when he sliced through two D.C. United defenders, caught goalkeeper Bill Hamid flat-footed and calmly chipped it into the back of the net. Only this time it was teammate Tony Beltran in a midweek training session on a crisp fall day in late October. Martinez baited Beltran, but unlike so many moments this year, the next move was quelled. Beltran recovered and kept Martinez from having bragging rights for a few minutes.

Martinez's first full year in Major League Soccer has showcased a bit of everything. The highlight-reel plays are aplenty. The cheeky goals and no-look passes, too. But not as of late. One of Real Salt Lake's three Designated Players, Martinez (seven goals and three assists) has struggled to produce the way he did in the spring and summer months. Since that goal on July 1, he has one goal and one assist in 16 regular-season matches. That one goal rescued a point for RSL in the 94th minute in a wild 3-3 home draw against the L.A. Galaxy on Sept. 7.

"I think nobody can make a difference by themselves, so Juan is not an exception," said midfielder Javier Morales said. "The team hasn't been playing good, and like I said, everyone has to play better. Juan, myself, [Joao] Plata, Yura [Movsisyan], big names out there, we have to score goals. It is what it is."

A chapter in RSL's ongoing attacking trials — one goal in its last five matches in six-game winless streak — is Martinez's struggles. RSL coach Jeff Cassar said the team isn't finding Martinez in ideal spots like it had been most of the year. The less ground Martinez has to cover to get to goal and create either for himself or teammates, the better.

"He does his best work in the attacking third, so we have to find him in those positions — same with all our attacking players," Cassar said. "We've got to find them in the right positions. We don't want him doing the bulk of his work in the midfield. And then, from there, we've got to make sure he's keeping the game a little more simpler in the midfield and doing his exciting, flair plays in the attacking third. Because what we can't have is turnovers in the midfield."

Should the drop-off in production be attributed to the adjustment to his first full season in MLS? Movsisyan, the focal point of the three-pronged attack, has been dealing with injuries off and on since August. Does that leave opponents for apt to focus on shutting down Martinez and Plata on the wings?

"Sometimes you score more, sometimes you score less," Martinez said. "The other team plays, too, so it's not easy and it's more hard when you get more close to the time of playoffs. It's more tight, it's more hard to score goals, but what's important is we [score a] goal. That's important for us to have more trust in ourselves."

Martinez is the third-most fouled player in the league at the moment. In 2,498 minutes played in 31 regular-season appearances, Martinez has been fouled 79 times. That's one shy of San Jose's Alberto Quintero and two shy of injured FC Dallas playmaker Mauro Diaz, who led the league with 81.

After training Thursday, Martinez was asked about the physicality of MLS. "It's different," he said. "All the leagues have something different. I like this league." As for pressure to return to the scoresheet, Martinez said bluntly, "The only thing we are thinking now is to get to the playoffs."

Wary of Lodeiro

Nicolas Lodeiro was a teammate of Burrito Martinez for six months at the most popular club in South America, Boca Juniors. So it's come as no surprise to Martinez to see the instant impact the 27-year-old Uruguayan has had on his new club, the Seattle Sounders.

Since arriving this summer, Lodeiro has four goals and eight assists in 12 regular-season matches.

"That's why he's in the national team of Uruguay," Martinez said, "so we have to be aware of him."

Lodeiro scored his first-ever goal in MLS against RSL in Seattle's 2-1 home win on Aug. 14 at CenturyLink Field. "It's going to take a team effort," Cassar said. "No one person can shut him down."

"When I watch Lodeiro play, I see a number of things," right back Tony Beltran added. "No. 1, he's obviously got quality, he's got so much technical ability, but he also has a belief in him and a fight to the way he plays. You can tell he's hungry, you can tell he wants to come to Seattle and win.

"I saw a similar situation with Juan coming in last year. There wasn't that big of an adjustment period, and that's just because they're such quality players. [Lodeiro] hurt us last time and we're going to have to be very, very cautious of him this time."

-Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani