A determined attitude and cultured right foot helped âÂÂNobbyâ Solano to become â¨a cult hero in Newcastle, â¨but he is also one of PeruâÂÂs â¨all-time biggest celebrities. And why not, when he scored goals as good as this one?
Just 20 minutes into PeruâÂÂs glamour tie against Spain, ranked 71 places ahead of â¨the humble South Americans, Joseba EtxeberriaâÂÂs loose pass was intercepted. It took just â¨14 seconds and nine touches between six players for Peru â¨to take the ball from their defensive third into the Spanish net, silencing most of a 24,000-strong crowd and sending a vocal handful of scattered Peruvians into raptures. And who was there to stroke the ball home? Solano, scorer of 20 goals â¨in 95 games for Peru.
âÂÂWe launched â¨a counter-attack,â â¨the trumpet-playing wide-man recalls. âÂÂMy friend Andres [Mendoza] crossed the ball. I chested it down, let it bounce and then, from â¨25 yards, set my sights on goal and hit the ball with â¨the outside of my right foot. It flew past â¨Iker Casillas.âÂÂ
Although the game finished 2-1 to the Spanish superstars, who would be dumped out of the Euro 2004 group stages a few months after this warm-up match, Solano remembers the game, and his goal, with fondness.
âÂÂIt was so special because we donâÂÂt often get to play countries like Spain and the very best players in the world.
âÂÂThat has to be the very â¨best goal I ever scored.âÂÂ
Words: Rob Stewart and Robert Summerscales. Illustration: German Aczel. From the June issue of FourFourTwo. Subscribe!
