Michael Bradley Scored An Olimpico! Wait, What Is An Olimpico? (VIDEO)
By Sean Maslin
You learn something new in every football match. Whether it is a cool move, a new way to fake an injury, or what supporters are artists, a person can learn something new in every 90 minute game. Sunday was no different as the USA’s Michael Bradley scored off of a corner kick. Bradley’s goal in the 27th not only gave the USA the 1-0 advantage, but also re-introduced a term to the soccer lexicon: Olimpico.
Since we here at MLS Multiplex are a teaching website, let’s get into the history of the term Olimpico and the idea scoring directly off of a corner. The term Olimpico dates back to a 1925 friendly match between Argentina and Uruguay. In just the 15th minute, Uruguay would take the lead when winger Cesareo Onzari would boot home a corner off of a direct kick.
The goal would originally be termed “as Onzari to Olympic” since Uruguay had just won the 1925 Olympics. But over time, as Onzari faded into memory the goal off of a direct kick would be called an Olympic goal or an Olimpico.
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Now you might be asking yourself:
Wait soccer/football has been played since the 1870’s? It took over 50 years to score directly off of a corner kick?
Well, the reason is simple: it was illegal. Prior to 1924 when the International Football Association Board made it legal to score directly off of a corner kick, the ball had to touch another player other than the corner taker for a goal to count. Football in the early part of the 20th century was a very different game, one that was not as worried about how many goals are scored. Possession and maximizing touches was seen as more important than scoring off of trick plays.
Perhaps what makes this type of goal so special is that it is so rare. Anyone who has ever played a FIFA game knows it is pretty darn difficult to bend a shot at such an angle that it can get past 10 defenders and the occasional teammate who deflects a shot out of bounds. Even ESPN Senior Soccer Researcher Paul Carr drew a blank for the last time a US Men’s National Team player scored an olimpico.
But the Olimpico has been a part of some pretty moments in football. Probably the most famous olimpico was Marcos Coll’s corner at the 1962 World Cup for Chile in their 4-4 draw with the Soviet Union. It is still the only olimpico ever to be scored at the World Cup.
The olimpico has also only ever been completed once at the Olympics, with the USA’s Megan Rapinoe scoring off of a corner at the 2012 Olympics. Her goal was the first goal in the fantastic USA-Canada match that the United States would end up winning 4-3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNHZoloStm4
Have a favorite olimpico goal? Please let us know below!