Goalkeeper scores last-minute bicycle kick equaliser that ‘no one would believe’
Liverpool ace Alisson Becker will be eating his heart out after a fellow stopper scored a last-ditch overhead kick to leave all other goalkeeper finishes in his dust.
It was back in May 2021 that Alisson headed home an injury-time winner at West Brom, but even that can't compare with Sandro Aruvaino's acrobatic equaliser for Dutch outfit UOW '02. The fourth-tier 'B' team were on the verge of a 2-1 defeat to RKVV Vaesrade when a 98th-minute free-kick gave Aruvaino the glimmer of hope he needed to save the day.
But not in the manner he's accustomed to as a No. 1, instead pulling off a seamless bicycle kick at the death to rescue a share of the spoils. It's no surprise he and his team-mates celebrated the point like a win, however, with footage captured from the crowd showing the strike in all its glory.
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"I went forward, the ball comes forward and it comes in front of my feet perfectly," Aruvaino told Moonen Movies after a moment he's unlikely to forget in a hurry. "It was great."
The late leveller was reminiscent of Lucas Covolan's 95th-minute equaliser for Torquay in the 2021 National League play-offs. However, what Aruvaino's effort lacked in grandeur and importance compared to that moment, it more than made up for in sheer audacity and execution.
Seen a goalkeeper with a better finish? Let us know in the comments section below.
"Absolute once in a lifetime moment," praised one Reddit commenter who clearly understood the magnitude of the situation. "He's going to annoy his grandchildren to no end recounting this."
Others concurred the Dutchman deserved all the plaudits coming his way as another fan wrote: "Can you imagine his pain if this wasn’t recorded? Nobody would believe him lmao."
The glee in Aruvaino's voice is evident in his post-match diagnosis, as if the immediate celebrations didn't put his emotions into enough context. Premier League stars like Alisson and Peter Schmeichel have each done the unthinkable and got on the ends of set-pieces in the past, but Aruvaino appears to have set a new benchmark.
It's common practice to see goalkeepers putting their height to good use by preventing such strikes from breaching their lines. However, UOW '02 may be inclined to consider a change of position for Aruvaino if he's that handy with his feet.
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