O que éque foi isso!
What was that!
Sao Paulo; January 20, 2022. The Palmeiras number 9 is facing away from the goal, the ball dropping behind him outside the opposition penalty area. Then, suddenly, without looking, he is in the air as if on an easy sleigh. His left leg does a flip to kick the ball over his shoulder into the corner of the net 18 yards away, out of reach of a bewildered goalkeeper.
The commentator is stunned. The world stops.
“What was that!”
The world resumes. The stadium is now noisier and excited.
Plenty of players have done the scissor-kick to telling effort before him. But this one is a sight to behold.
“It was perfect timing; it was mind-blowingly accurate,” the commentator is searching for words to express what he has just witnessed.
Endrick Felipe, then 15, showed an uncommon spatial sense while the ball was being played behind him. He did not have a long time to see it coming, but as the ball came down,
his legs sliced the air and bang! It was beautiful alright, but it was so much more. Like seeing Michelangelo’s original David after seeing imitations all your life.
This story is from the October 16, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.
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This story is from the October 16, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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