Catching the ball, evading and dodging, then accelerating - the series of actions ends with a powerful shot into Chongqing's goal. With this goal, Saul Martinez helped Shanghai Shenhua win a 3-0 victory over the Chongqing Lifan club.

　　As a striker, the Honduran Martinez has scored eight goals during the nine rounds of top league games, putting him ahead of all other players and Shenhua ahead of all the other clubs.

　　He is the centre of Shenhua's striking line. His skill, speed and instinct for goal-scoring opportunities make him a nightmare for other teams. Two or three defenders are required just to watch him.

　　Wu Jingui, his coach, commented after the match against the Dalian Shide team: "Why does he play in the China league? He would have been one of the superstars if he had played for the England Super League."

　　In the following matches against the Shenyang Jinde and the Sichuan Guanchen, he continued his winning role. In the match against Guanchen, he made two successful strikes and helped his teammate Zhang Yuning to win the game.

　　"I will score 15 goals in this match season" vowed Martinez, "My goal is to be the best football player in China."

　　The goal is not hard to reach for someone who has scored goals against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

　　Nightmare start

　　This match season is Martinez's harvest time. But things were different in the beginning.

　　Martinez transferred from Uruguay Race to Shanghai Shenhua in May 2002, for a transfer fee of US million.

　　The champion of the American League and the Uruguay League expected a pleasant time with China League - winning another championship with the Shenhua team.

　　But his first appearance in the China top league was not so pleasant. The match against the Zhongyuan team of the same city was filled with tension and violence. He was involved in a fight with Zhongyuan's Chen Yaodong. His impulsiveness earned him a red card and the end of his clean record.

　　This was the first red card in his career. He insisted he did not deserve it. He spent the whole night running from the hotel he was staying in to the Oriental Pearl Television Tower to calm himself down.

　　To make things worse, a crackdown on pitch violence was underway. His suspension for six games left Martinez and his team in shock.

　　He missed all the matches in the first stage over the following four months. The club even considered hiring him out to make up for the losses caused by his suspension.

　　Martinez came back in July with his superior skills and speed intact. However, his step was hindered by old injuries and the performance of the whole team collapsed.

　　Doubts aroused about his abilities. As to the criticism from fans, coach Wu Jingui firmly defended him: "Martinez's performance is not satisfying. But this is because of his injuries. He is still one of the best strikers in China."

　　Wu's words were justified later. Martinez proved his abilities by scoring three goals in Shandong and emerged from the bad period after these matches.

　　After the 2002 season, though Martinez had not won Shenhua a championship, he won fame as a terrifyingly effective striker. In the new season, he has been expecting the Champion's Cup.

　　Maybe the number nine brings him good luck. He chose nine as his number this year after discarding his previous number 38. Martinez lived in a four-star hotel in Pudong last year with Orlando and Sousa. They all experienced an unpleasant 2002. Since February he has moved into a new house, numbered 99, after a careful search throughout the Pudong District.

　　Diet puzzle

　　Martinez's diet is another enigma. He diet remains the same every day - bread, fried chicken legs and pasta. Two meals a day without breakfast. He seldom touches food with a high calorific content, like beef. Vegetables are rarely seen in his dishes. When dining out in restaurants with his teammates, he jut waits at the table, watching the others eat. He buys his own food from KFC later. He only drinks Sprite, ignoring all other beverages.

　　Even nutrition experts find it hard to explain where his robust body finds enough energy.

　　On the pitch, Martinez plays with brutal passion, but he shows other characteristics in daily life. He favours classical music over jazz and rock. Sometimes he listens to Chinese classical music. "Football matches agitates my nerves but music helps me feel at ease." Music is his best friend, he says.

　　He admits to being an introvert. Too much time in the spotlight, or tough questions from journalists, make him feel shy and embarrassed. He shut himself up in his room, crying for two hours, after accidentally injuring Deng Pengpeng, a Shenhua player. Had not Lou Shifang, the general manager of Shenhua Club persuaded him to come out, he would have wept for the whole night.

　　He is reluctant to make the acquaintance of strangers. He thinks new friends just bring him trouble. After all, his travels in the US and Uruguay have accustomed him to loneliness.

　　But at least he can share his loneliness with his girlfriend in Miami, where he played for the Miami Fusion club and won the local championship as a forward.

　　For him, there is no greater happiness than hearing her sweet voice on the phone.