I wasn’t angry at Sounders coach – Martins

Obafemi Martins

Seattle Sounders forward, Obafemi Martins, has cleared the air on the reported bust-up he had with his coach, Sigi Schmid, on Sunday after he was substituted in the 82nd minute of the game against LA Galaxy.

The former Levante player acknowledged Marc Burch, who replaced him, but snubbed his coach on his way to the bench.

While making his way to the sideline, Martins made his displeasure known by yelling and gesturing. He then walked past Schmid on his way to the bench, with neither the coach nor player acknowledging each other.

Schmid said he understood the emotions players attached to matches, saying he and Martins had talked about the incidence.

Martins, who had just one shot in the game and was rendered mostly ineffective, said his frustration was more with his performance.

“I just get angry with the fact that I didn’t do much in the game. So I got angry that I got put out. But I’m not thinking of getting angry with the manager. I just get angry with myself that I’ve not been doing my best in the game. That’s it,” the striker to journalist in Washington on Wednesday.

He reasserted his commitment to the team, noting that he had been playing through pain.

“I can’t really do anything right now,” he said about lingering injuries. “If I feel pain, I’ll keep playing. I have to get through the end of the season because we have important games right now. I hope it’s going to get better, day by day when I train.”