Ojeda’s Backheel Is a Goal of the Year Case. It Is Not the Award.

Martín Ojeda scored the kind of goal that gets posted before the final whistle. He did not win Goal of the Year on Saturday night.

The finish came in the 22nd minute of Orlando City’s 4-1 win over D.C. United. Antoine Griezmann played the ball over the top. Ojeda met it with a backheel volley, a scorpion, and put Orlando 2-0 up. MLS posted the clip with the line “potentially the Goal of the Year.” ESPN called it Puskas-worthy. LatinUS called it an escorpión. None of those are a nomination. The award is chosen at the end of the season. This is a candidate from one night.

The numbers around it

Griezmann had two goals and an assist. Ojeda had a goal and an assist. Marco Pasalić scored in stoppage time. The goal was Ojeda’s 49th for Orlando City, extending the club record he had already broken. Griezmann, in 14 MLS appearances, has 12 goals and seven assists. He is the first player in league history with a goal contribution in 12 of his first 14 games.

The clip is the story. The award is later. Ojeda has a case. He does not have the trophy.