by Saturday, July 13th, 2019 – Detroit City FC 3 Kalamazoo FC 1
And then it falls to Diop, the ball finding a forgiving patch of an otherwise troubled field.
This allows him a simple first touch, inviting him to dribble forward.
The first cut is pure reflex. It briefly transforms a would-be tackler into a human pylon.
This move leads directly into another, a mirror image of what just transpired less than a second ago.
The third and final thrust displays a hint of swagger, a bit of controlled recklessness as a quartet of defenders closes in.
It’s often been said of the battlefield that you never see or hear the shot that kills you. It comes suddenly, unannounced, turning everything black in an instant.
Diop’s shot is something less than a bullet or rocket, more of a fast knuckleball with a barely-perceptible downward dip at the end.
The effect on Kalamazoo’s goalkeeper becomes immediately apparent. For a moment, his brain has been rendered inert. Just two months ago, he celebrated a win in front of City supporters by dancing an agonizingly-long dance. Today his feet are motionless. He’s unable to move them a millimeter.
His paralyzer wheels away toward the corner, leaving no fewer than six defenders in his wake.
It is his first goal for City. The lead is theirs, and will remain so.
