Pablo Daniel Osvaldo Saves Italian Soccer With Sensational Bicycle-Kick Goal (Video)

Pablo Daniel Osvaldo proved that rumors of Italian soccer’s demise are greatly exaggerated.

The AS Roma striker scored a sensational goal that will be among the contenders for the mythical “goal of the season” award.

Osvaldo’s strike came in the 59th minute of Roma’s first game of the Serie A season. Daniele De Rossi chipped a pass that was worthy of the highlight reels on its own. But Osvaldo turned it into something far more magical.

With his back to goal, he jumped and kicked the ball with perfect timing. It shot into the far side of the goal, well past the outstretched arms of Catania goalkeeper Mariano Andujar.

The game ended in a 2-2 draw, but Roma fans won’t let the result get them down since they were fortunate enough to witness Osvaldo’s moment of magic. However, it will raise the expectations of what the Argentina-born Italian international will deliver.

Osvaldo joined AS Roma from Spanish club RCD Espanyol last summer in a reported £15.9 million ($25.1 million) transfer. His league 11 goals were enough to earn a call up to the Italian national team, not enough to earn the trust of the notoriously fickle Roma fans.

Italian may be going through a rough patch, with match-fixing scandals and an exodus of stars taking some luster off the venerable competition. But the Osvaldos of the world still flock to the Italian game, and they’re capable of doing extraordinary things on the field.