It’s very rare in this age full of soccer on our screens that we catch a goal of unique ingenuity.
The USL Championship delivered the goods on Wednesday.
Hartford Athletic had blown a two-goal lead to Philadelphia Union II on Wednesday and was staring down a 2-2 draw when Danny Barrera swung into action.
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Well, perhaps he lunged into action. Or flailed. On third thought, swung is good.
Heck, you pick the verb.
Barrera, 30, turned Philadelphia goalkeeper Mitchell Budler into a gift horse, reacting quickly to flick his back boot into the path of the keeper’s attempted outlet throw in the 90th minute.
The 81st-minute sub became the match-winning goalscorer off the play, which gives him two goals and seven assists on the season.
Hartford has 32 points and is a point off table-leading Tampa Bay Rowdies with one match to play. Second-place Louisville City is also on 32 points and Pittsburgh Riverhounds have 31.
Hartford may be able to look back at Barrera’s goal as the surprise three points that swung a title race in its favor.
This is, by my reckoning, going to be the weirdest goal of the season. And it might keep @hfdathletic in with a chance at first place in Group F. #PHIvHFD pic.twitter.com/zEn3Z16Ge8
— Nicholas Murray (@NJEMurray) October 1, 2020