Sebastian Kehl doesn’t score very often, but when he does … wow.
Kehl scored one of the 2014-15 season’s best goals Tuesday in a DFB-Pokal (German Cup) quarterfinal game between Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim. Kehl’s extra-time volley helped Dortmund earn a 3-2 win, book its place in the semifinals and further salvage a season that looked lost just three months ago.
The score was tied at 2 when a failed clearance fell to Kehl, who was stationed 25 yards away from Hoffenheim’s goal. Kehl let the ball bounce before striking it perfectly through a defender’s legs, past the goalkeeper and into the goal.
Dortmund players and fans rightfully celebrated Kehl’s stunning winner with gusto.
Kehl, 35, beamed with pride after the game.
“I have never scored a goal in the German Cup for Borussia Dortmund,” Kehl told Sky Germany, according to Deutsche Welle. “To do it in the twilight of my career is a really nice moment for me.”
Kehl doesn’t have much of a track record for scoring goals. He primarily has played as a defensive midfielder for Dortmund since 2001, and Tuesday’s goal was his first of the season.
Dortmund can earn a spot in next season’s UEFA Europa League if it advances to the German Cup final. It would be quite an accomplishment for Dortmund, which suffered through the first half of the season and found itself in the relegation zone at the winter break.
Upticks in form and results have taken Dortmund up to 10th place in the 18-team Bundesliga (German first division). Dortmund’s luck has followed suit, as Kehl’s strike demonstrates.
GIF via Reddit
Thumbnail photo via Frank Augstein/The Associated Press
