Cuco Martina’s professional football career has spanned some nine seasons and more than 200 games but, even on the training pitch, he has never known anything quite like what happened in the 19th minute at St Mary’s on Saturday.
“I don’t have the words,” he said. “This was the best shot of my life. Unbelievable. I’ve never hit a ball like that before.”
He had also never before started a match in the Premier League and, in scoring what was only his fifth career goal, he became the first man from Curaçao to score in English football’s top flight. The look of sheer wonder, not just on Martina’s face, but his team-mates and just about everyone inside St Mary’s said it all.
Ronald Koeman, the Southampton manager, was far more concerned about whether his reserve right-back could contain Theo Walcott than to expect or even remotely plan for a volley that swerved several metres and, in leaving arguably the best goalkeeper in Premier League history with no chance, bore more than a passing resemblance to Roberto Carlos in his prime. “I saw the ball go in and I just thought ‘oh my God’,” said Martina. “I shot and, after the goal, everything was slow motion for me. I was so so happy. I think I have scored three goals in my whole life before [it is actually four] and that is the nicest.”
The wider challenge is to establish himself in Southampton’s first team after previously playing only 45 minutes of senior football since the end of August. Cédric Soares and Maya Yoshida have generally been preferred at right-back but Martina was the personal choice of Koeman when he signed from FC Twente during the summer and is clearly rated by his manager.
“Sometimes I have felt a bit disappointed because I want to play,” said Martina. “I hope will be selected for our next game if he sticks to our game plan.”
Another Southampton player to seize his opportunity on Saturday was Shane Long, who used both his pace and physical strength to expose the limitations of Arsenal captain Per Mertesacker. With Graziano Pellè’s knee injury likely to sideline him for several weeks, Long should finally get an extended opportunity in his preferred centre-forward position.
“I’ve been here a year and half so I know to play upfront the chances aren’t going to come along too often,” he said. “I had to make sure I proved a point and gave the manager something to think about.
“After the Tottenham game the gaffer said to us it wasn’t our formation which was causing us problems, it was more mental and confidence. He made it a bit more fun this week, had the lads joking and you could see the results of that on the pitch. I’ve never been so tired before in my life.”
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