David Luiz has enough soccer experience to know the right moment to strike.
The Chelsea defender scored a stunning goal Tuesday in his team’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool, beating goalkeeper Simon Mignolet with a surprise free kick from long distance. Mignolet was organizing his defensive wall and was badly positioned when Luiz shot.
Luiz revealed after the final whistle what role his instincts played in the game’s standout moment.
“Sometimes you need to try to surprise,” Luiz told BT Sport, per ESPN. “It is not the best moment to try free kicks because of my knee. I have not been training too much and with free kicks you need to train every day.
“But sometimes you need to feel the game and take the opportunity and I’m happy.”
Mignolet had an excuse for conceding the embarrassing goal.
“I didn’t hear the whistle, then he hit it earlier,” Mignolet told BT Sport. “It was a good free kick in the end but obviously you have to give yourself a chance to save it, but that didn’t happen.”
It’s worth noting, Luiz surprised other players on the field with his unexpected free kick.
Luiz’s instinctive approach has hurt his team before, as was the case in Brazil’s 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 FIFA World Cup semifinals. However, Chelsea benefitted from Luiz’s nature this time around.
Mignolet in early 2015 blamed his penchant for over-thinking for the struggles he has endured at Liverpool. His problem reared its head again Tuesday. But he later saved Diego Costa’s penalty kick, diving in the right direction to preserve the 1-1 scoreline.
We only can conclude thinking and instincts are two sides of the same coin, and the outcome of a given situation depends on when and where it lands.
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Thumbnail photo via LiverpoolFC.com
