England and Nigeria did Major League Soccer fans a favor by leaving Jermain Defoe and Obafemi Martins off their rosters for Brazil, but if the league’s first match day without World Cup call ups is any indication, Toronto and Seattle’s opponents will feel the wrath of two strikers scorned. In the day’s first game, Defoe’s early screamer helped end TFC’s three-game losing streak, though Martins’ eighth minute opener at CenturyLink did his fellow former-Premier League striker one better.
On a ball rolled into the left of the penalty area, Martins lofted a sharp angle shot towards Jon Busch’s post, something that very well could have been a cross. From the sharp angle at which Martins released it, the hope of finding a teammate at the far post was the only logical explanation. Given the arc on the ball, it didn’t appear as if the Seattle attacker had any designs at goal.
But it would be a mistake to look at this goal in terms of logic. Instead, think of how many different ways the shot defies it. In terms of temerity, probability, flight and result, there is nothing about this goal that suggests Martins could do it again. Of course, that’s part of what makes it such an amazing shot.
After seven minutes in Seattle, the Sounders were up one on San Jose.