The 2018 Copa Libertadores kicked off last night with the first legs of the first qualifying round. Over in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Oriente Petrolero defeated Peru’s Universitario 2-0 with goals from Ronaldo Sanchez and Maximiliano Freitas.
Sanchez’s goal came in the 28th minute, and both teams were down to playing with 10 men by the 77th via red cards.
In the 79th minute, Freitas came on as a substitute. One minute later, he scored Oriente’s second. He was subsequently booked for excessive celebration and here’s why.
Oh how I love the Copa Libertadores... pic.twitter.com/kTg1QXvi0r
— Adam Brandon (@AdamBrandon84) January 23, 2018
What a cameo from the substitute; what a sensational two-minute spell from the 26-year-old Uruguayan forward. The goal was finely taken, a first-time strike arrowed inside the near post, but the celebration was enough to make FIFA developers stand up and take notice.
That boy hopped in a Toyota, presumably screaming “Let’s go places!” at his teammates. Freitas and his teammates are probably still driving around now, looking for somewhere that's not on a map, but for somewhere that's in their hearts.
So they’re probably rolling along the crest of a mountain ridge at the moment.