Some things in life are just too pure for this world, and so they exist only as fleeting moments never to be seen again.
There’s an argument to be made that this happens in sport more often than in any other walk of life. We’ve all got a story of that perfect goal from our younger days that sounds too good to be true, and so as time passes we either convince ourselves that we have remembered it incorrectly, or we go all-in and make it as fantastical as possible.
For the lucky few, this moment, the pinnacle of our sporting achievement, is caught on camera. Real, actual proof of the greatest thing you ever did on a football pitch.
But for an American high schooler by the name of Dylan Prichett-Ettner, his greatest goal was caught on video, only to see it called offside.
During a Colorado high school football (or soccer, as it’s affectionately known over there) game between Columbine High School (yes, that Columbine) and the amazingly-named ThunderRidge, Prichett-Ettner scored an absolute wonder goal – but it was ruled out for offside.
Still, the spectacular aspect was more about the journey than the destination, so we can still appreciate it.
As a long ball is played through the ThunderRidge defense, Prichett-Ettner is one-on-one with the keeper. The pair collide but it is the striker who comes out on top (literally) as he flips over his opponent, sticks the landing and taps the ball into the back of the net.
It’s such a pity to see such a fantastic goal ruled offside, but like Don McLean wrote of Vincent van Gogh, this world was never meant for one as beautiful as this goal.
In the end, Prichett-Ettner’s Columbine lost the game 2-1, but he takes his place in the pantheon of great sporting acrobatics.
As of late, there seems to be a trend in American high school sports of twisting and turning dramatically. Just a few days ago, Malik Johnson, a running-back for Braulio Alonso High School in Florida, evaded a defender with a spinning manoeuvre of his own.
Highlight of the year, courtesy Alonso Ravens sophomore Malik Johnson. @SportsCenter #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/b7XYOdv7fM
— Paul Gerke (@PaulGerke) August 27, 2016
We’re not sure what they’re putting in the water over there, but it’s flipping exciting.
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