Canadian goalkeeper Quillan Roberts has booted his way into the record books with his goal against England at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The 16-year-old Toronto FC academy ’keeper boomed a kick from just inside his side of the halfway line with time winding down and Canada trailing 2-1 in Pachuca, Mexico.
Then he watched as the ball bounced over a pair of players trying to get their head onto it and into the net over the lunging English goalie.
“How it happened was a bit of a surprise for all of us,” Canadian coach Sean Fleming said Thursday by way of understatement.
The 87th-minute goal Wednesday gave Canada a 2-2 tie and its first point at the under-17 tournament after 14 straight losses. It also marked the first goal scored by a goalkeeper in any FIFA 11-a-side finals competition.
FIFA called it historic. England’s Football Association was less charitable, labelling it a “a freak clearance-cum-shot” in its game report.
Either way, it was warmly welcomed by Canadian soccer.
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