Rey Ángel Martínez

Rey Ángel Martínez

Personal information
Full name	Rey Ángel Martínez
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s)	midfielder
Team information
Current team	Rochester Raging Rhinos
Number	35
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 31 July 2006

Rey Ángel "Boom Boom" Martínez Mendivel (born May 13, 1980 in Havana, Cuba) is a Cuban soccer player, who, as of 2005, plays forward for the Rochester Rhinos of the USL First Division.

Martinez joined the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer on June 11, 2004, after having defected from Cuba, together with future Colorado teammate Alberto Delgado, during the 2002 Gold Cup. Before joining the Rapids, his most recent club was Ciudad de la Habana of Cuba. Martinez finished his first year with the Rapids with one assist in seven appearances, three starts, but struggled with injuries for much of the season. He was released by the Rapids before the 2005 season and signed with Rochester.

Before his defection, Martinez was an important player for the Cuban national team, for whom he played in the Gold Cup, Copa Caribe, and Pan American Games.

Martinez has been used as a late second half substitute during the 2007 season and he is becoming a fan favorite who runs around the attacking third with much enthusiasm but clumsy control of the ball when he gets it. Despite his poor command of the English language, he is somewhat of a local celebrity, and a few have discerned that if Boom Boom scored as often on the field as he does off the field the team could have won the World Cup championship.