Through cunning and tricks, Jamal Thiaré became a hero for Atlanta United on Saturday.
With the tie in injury time against Toronto FC, Thiaré scored a goal out of nowhere to give his team a 2-1 victory. Further replays showed what happened.
Thiaré had wandered behind the goal to playfully drink from Toronto goalie Luka Gavran’s water bottle after an Atlanta scoring opportunity. Gavran didn’t notice the movement, nor did the Senegalese striker who followed him as he ran away from goal with the ball.
As Gavran rolled the ball forward to clear it, Thiaré raced forward to steal the ball and score the decisive goal.
Not a single Toronto player on camera looked back to warn Gavran about his shadow.
“Just the way we wanted it,” Atlanta interim head coach Rob Valentino joked after the game. “I would say I’m on the younger side of coaching and the younger side of the game, but I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Thiaré is in his first season with Atlanta United after five years at French club Le Havre.
The win was much-needed for Atlanta, who now have a 6-6-8 record amid a disappointing season that has already seen them fire head coach Gonzalo Pineda. They currently sit ninth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Nashville SC for the final guaranteed spot in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.
