Ben Garuccio scored not only one of the best goals the A-League Men has ever seen, but one of the best goals ever scored on a football pitch in Western United’s thrilling 3-2 win over Western Sydney Wanderers on Sunday.
After breaking a four-year goalscoring drought with a lovely goal in the first half, the United left-back went one better in the second period with a memorable strike.
Continuing his run into the box, Garuccio got on the end of an Aleksandar Prijovic cross – a lovely ball with the outside of his boot – and flung himself in the air to pull off a miraculous, acrobatic scorpion kick before wheeling away in delirious celebration.
It’s a goal that will be played in highlight reels and compilation for years to come, and immediately the strike went viral right across the world.
The screamer will surely be in the running for the FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal of the year, and the football governing body were straight on top of it to share the goal with their 14.8 million followers on Twitter.
BT Sport also shared the goal on their platforms, with many responding and noting that every time the British station shares an A-Leagues goal, it’s always a banger.
ESPN and Copa90 were both also impressed by the goal as many were quick to suggest it could be the best goal scored all year.
In written media, Goal.com featured the wonder goal on their website and labelled it a “goal of the season contender”.
Closer to home, the story made headline news in the Herald Sun, the ABC and of course on Channel 10 and Paramount+, and additionally all of the A-Leagues’ social media platforms.
Garuccio will do well to forget about it ahead of the next game, but now it is over to the rest of the world to come up with a goal to match him for the rest of the year.
