Jair Benitez‘s entrance into the Major League Soccer “Goal of the Year” reckoning was delicate, yet emphatic.
The FC Dallas fullback scored a long-range goal to cap his team’s 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.
In the 89th minute, Benitez carried the ball over the halfway line, looked up, saw that Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted was off his line and decided to take a shot from 50 yards away.
Benitez, 34, shot with a perfect blend of power and accuracy, as the ball sailed over Ousted’s outstretched arms but fell straight into the goal’s top left corner.
Dallas forward Fabian Castillo, thinks it could claim a prestigious end-of-season honor, according to the Dallas Morning News.
“I didn’t think it was going to go in,” Castillo said. “It was unexpected. I’m very happy for Jair, and I think that’s going to be the goal of the year.”
The goal was the second of Benitez’s MLS career. Maybe he should shoot more often.
See Benitez’s long-range strike in the video below.
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