There are a lot of goals scored in Major League Soccer.
A lot of nice goals. A lot of really nice goals. Some really, really amazing goals. Very few, ‘I don’t believe what I just saw’ goals.
In 2014, one of those goals that left mouths hanging open was scored by Sounders FC forward Obafemi Martins against the San Jose Earthquakes.
“The reaction says it all. In all my years, I’ve never seen somebody do that and I probably never will again,” said former Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch, the unfortunate man who surrendered the goal. “That's all you can do at that point, just say, ‘Wow. Oh my goodness.’ Credit to him it was a great finish.”
Taking the ball down just inside the area, Martins hit a perfectly weighted chip that looped across Busch’s goal at the tightest of angles and saw it settle inside the far post. Few believed what they had seen.
At the conclusion of the season, the spectacular effort was named the 2014 MLS Goal of the Year, which was the second time in three years that a Sounder had claimed the award. In 2012, Patrick Ianni took it home for a scissor kick volley against Sporting Kansas City.
The man who called the goal, Sounders play-by-play man Ross Fletcher, was blown away by Martins’ effort, one he certainly wasn’t ready for.
“It was brilliant. It was exquisite. It was uplifting. It was joyous. It was cacophonous,” Fletcher said looking back on the goal. “50,000 fans were going absolutely crazy over what was the goal of the year from Oba, and I think very few people in this league could do what he did. There was just such deftness of touch, and the vision to see Jon Busch off his line.
“I didn’t see it coming, and I don’t think anybody else in the stadium saw it coming. But Oba was the guy, and that’s why he’s paid the big bucks: to score goals like that.”
Setting up Martins on the goal was Gonzalo Pineda, who played the ball over the top to Martins who took care of the rest.
The former Mexican international, a veteran of ten years in Mexico’s top flight as well as 44 appearances (and a World Cup) with the National Team, has seen plenty of goals in his day.
“It was a great goal from Oba. It was an average pass from me but a great goal from Oba because he is a great player. That goal also represents three points for us. It was beautiful. I’ve seen highlights of goals like it but never when I was on the pitch. It was a great goal and I enjoy it very much.”
With the Sounders set to battle San Jose on Saturday in the clubs’ first meeting of 2015, the hope is that Martins can produce a similar effort in front of the CenturyLink Field faithful.
The Nigerian forward was as coy as ever about the strike but hopes he can get another one like it soon.
“I don’t really remember much,” Martins said with a smile. “It was just a goal. It was one of the best goals in my career. But it’s a new season now, a different game and we see how it goes. That kind of a goal, you only score one like that once or twice.”
Saturday’s match with San Jose kicks off at 7 p.m. PT from CenturyLink Field. You can watch the match live on Q13 FOX or follow along on Twitter with @LIVESounders.
