Oh my word, Lucas Zelarayán.
The Columbus Crew's star playmaker scored an otherworldly golazo Saturday night to seal a 2-1 win at Chicago Fire FC, unleashing a pinged rocket from beyond midfield to silence the Soldier Field crowd.
That Zelarayán went for the spectacular and pulled it off in the 93rd minute? All Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy could do is shake his head and laugh, in pure disbelief over what their Armenian international No. 10 accomplished.
"It's funny because at the beginning of the year I was talking with Lucas," Nancy said postgame. "He had a few chances like this and I told him, 'Hey, try it. If this is a logical play, try it. I have no problem with that.' Today he did it and when the ball bounced, I saw the ball like, 'He's going to do it, he's going to do it.' When he touched the ball, it was beautiful."
A familiar sight
Zelarayán's AT&T 5G Goal of the Year contender, sent from 60.98 yards out, was capped by taking off his jersey and displaying his name for the world to see.
"I didn't know what to do," Zelarayán said. "I was so, so excited and I took my shirt off. I saw that celebration before and, yes, I was so excited. I did that because I was out of my mind."
The sight might have also looked eerily familiar to Crew fans, who watched Zelarayan score from 56 yards out last season in a match at Charlotte FC – setting an MLS record in the process.
As special as Zelarayán's golazo against Chicago was, not bouncing before beating goalkeeper Spencer Richey, he actually preferred the 2022 one.
"Both goals were very nice," Zelarayán said. "But maybe I would say Charlotte because it was a free kick and I made the record in MLS history. That's why I say Charlotte."
