Darlington Nage gets more than his fair share of love. He was number one on MLS Soccer’s 24 Under 24 list, and whenever he scores a goal like he did tonight in Vancouver (a blast from well beyond the Whitecaps’ penalty area), he usually goes MLS’s version of viral.
Tonight, however, he might not even be a footnote thanks to Camilo Sanvezzo. The Brazilian had already brought his team back once tonight, answering Nagbe’s first half strike with a direct kick in the second. But after Will Johnson’s goal reestablished Portland’s lead, Vancouver’s leading scorer finished what has to be the new Goal of the Year.
Whichever goal was leading the race before, forget it. This is one of the best goals you’ll see. In MLS or otherwise.
Just look how high Camilo gets to meet this ball, his foot possibly over his head by the time the cross gets to him. When he kicks it — and we’re using “kick” in the sense that a material artist would; not in the soccer sense — he hits the ball perfectly, just inside Donovan Rickett’s left post to make it 2-2.
In a game of four really well-struck goals, that’s how the score would stay, though in second half stoppage time, Vancouver were left bemoaning Silviu Petrescu’s swallowed whistle. Give the man credit, Petrescu does manage to stay consistent, even if the Whitecaps had a claim for a potentially game-winning penalty kick.
With the result, Portland’s now within two points of West-leading Real Salt Lake. Vancouver are six points back of fifth place Colorado with three games to play.