Jamal Tiare was the hero for Atlanta United on Saturday through stealth and deception.
With the equaliser in stoppage time against Toronto FC, Tiare scored a surprise goal to give his team a 2-1 win. The replay showed what happened.
Tiare playfully sipped from Toronto goalkeeper Luca Gabran’s water bottle after Atlanta’s scoring chance, going around the back of the net. Gabran didn’t notice the move, nor did the Senegalese striker follow him as he walked away from the goal with the ball.
As Gavran rolled the ball forward to clear the ball, Thiaré burst forward to steal the ball and score the winner.
Not a single Toronto player on camera turned around to warn Gavran of his shadow.
Atlanta interim coach Rob Valentino joked after the game. “It’s exactly what we wanted.” “I’d say I’m on the young side when it comes to coaching, and I’m on the young side when it comes to the game, but I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Tiare is in his first season with Atlanta United after five years with French club Le Havre.
A win was desperately needed for Atlanta, which currently sits at 6-6-8 in a disappointing season that has already seen coach Gonzalo Pineda fired. They currently sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Nashville SC for the final guaranteed spot in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.
