On Saturday, Jamal Thiaré was the hero for Atlanta United as he scored a crucial goal against Toronto FC in stoppage time. The game had been tied and it looked like it would end in a draw until Thiaré made an unexpected move.
Thiaré had snuck behind the goal and playfully drank from Toronto goalkeeper Luka Gavran’s water bottle during an Atlanta scoring opportunity. Gavran was unaware of Thiaré’s presence as he walked away from the goal with the ball. When Gavran attempted to clear the ball by rolling it forward, Thiaré took advantage of the situation, stealing the ball and scoring the game-winning goal.
None of the Toronto players on the field alerted Gavran to the imminent danger lurking behind him. Atlanta’s interim head coach, Rob Valentino, marveled at the unexpected turn of events, joking that he had never witnessed anything like it in his coaching career.
Thiaré, who joined Atlanta United in his first season after playing for French club Le Havre for five years, was instrumental in securing the much-needed win for the team. With a 6-6-8 record and a disappointing season that led to the firing of head coach Gonzalo Pineda, Atlanta currently sits ninth in the Eastern Conference, trailing behind Nashville SC by two points for the final guaranteed spot in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.
