Lucas Zelarayán lifted Columbus past Chicago 2-1 with his incredible goal from nearly 61 yards out on Saturday night. (AP/Kirk Irwin)
Lucas Zelarayán came up with a ridiculous winner Saturday night in Chicago.
The Columbus Crew star whipped out a wild goal from behind the midfield line to lift them past the Chicago Fire in stoppage time. The goal was from almost 61 yards out, and will undoubtedly be in contention for the best goal scored in Major League Soccer all season.
Just watch:
“I didn’t know what to do,” Zelarayán said, via MLS. “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 goal was Zelarayán’s second from behind 50 yards in the past two seasons. He scored one from just more than 56 yards out last October.
“It’s funny because at the beginning of the year I was talking with Lucas,” Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy said, via MLS. “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.”
Cucho Hernández scored first for the Crew in the 59th minute Saturday night, which gave them a 1-0 lead. Chicago’s Zherdan Shaqiri then tied the match up in the 88th minute.
Zelarayán has scored eight times in 15 starts this season, his fourth with the Crew. Columbus holds an 8-3-6 record, which puts them in sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.
