Gonzálo “Pity” Martínez was standing in the mixed zone of the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. He had just lifted the Copa Libertadores trophy after scoring the third and decisive goal in River Plate’s 3-1 second-leg victory over Boca Juniors.



“How can you go play in America,” asked a reporter from TyC Sports, a leading Argentine sports network.



It was a question that puzzled people across Argentina. Why would South America’s best player move to Major League Soccer?



A player of Martínez’s quality is supposed to leave River Plate for a big club in Europe. That’s the natural evolution of a top Argentine playmaker. You move to La Liga or Serie A. You flirt with a top-six Premier League side. You don’t move to America. Prideful Argentines sneer at a league like Major League Soccer.



All of this was implied in the TyC reporter’s question. But it didn’t faze Atlanta...