2021.08.07 14:51
Watch Megan Rapinoe Casually Defy the Laws of Physics
to Score This "Olimpico" Goal
As the US Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) stormed their way to an exciting 4-3 win over Australia in the Olympic bronze medal game, we saw star striker Megan Rapinoe accomplish a rare feat. In the eighth minute, Rapinoe took a corner kick and scored what's known as an Olimpico goal, or an Olympic goal, to get the US on the board early. So what is an Olimpico goal and what makes it so special? Let's get into it below.
An Olimpico goal is a soccer goal scored directly off a corner kick, with no deflection or contact from another player. It's rare to see because of the difficult (nearly impossible) angle, which requires the kicker to bend the ball in from a position that's just about horizontal to the goal, not to mention the wave of players streaking toward the box looking for a deflection or a clear.
It's called an Olimpico goal in honor of Cesáreo Onzari, a striker from Argentina who scored off a corner kick during a 1924 friendly against Uruguay. Uruguay was the defending Olympic champion at the time, hence the name.
Rapinoe is the only known player to have scored an Olimpico at the Olympics, and she's actually done it twice. Her first Olimpico at the Games came in London in 2012, on a corner kick that bounced and skipped just past the near post. That goal helped the US team move past Canada in the semifinals, on their way to a gold medal.
Rapinoe's second Olimpico, in Tokyo, couldn't have been more different. She laced the ball into the top back corner of the net for a truly mind-boggling, "how is that possible?!" goal that you'll have to watch a few times to understand. Compare the two below to see Rapinoe defy the laws of physics (twice!) on the world's biggest stage.
Please click the "Right Arrow" in the center of the video screen below
to see the crazy magic kick into the goal.
This was the first Olimpico Goal 9 years ago (2012) by Megan,
Not the one in Tokyo Olympics. (by SNUMA WM)
The one in Tokyo was much more spectacular.
Please click the link below to see the Tokyo Olimpico Goal of 2021. (The first video)
https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1423195383962996736
2021.08.07 15:21
2021.08.08 03:23
2021.08.08 06:20
Megan did not defy any law of physics, instead, she used air friction to turn the ball's path.
As she kicked the ball toward the goal post, she rotated the ball "counterclockwise"
by kicking the right side of the ball face. The ball rotated counterclockwise (seen from the sky above),
and it took a path of gradual left turn entering between the goalposts.
Baseball pitchers use this air friction all the time to guide the ball up-to-down, right-to-left,
and left-to-right. All soccer players do the same when it becomes necessary
and golfers use the same principle either by mistake or by intention.
However, it requires a precision kicking skill to control the distance, speed, and rotation.
Imagine the 김빠진 defenders and the ecstatic attackers in this incident.
Simply ecstatic!!!
It certainly was a magic kick!
No more words needed!!!
BB Lee