Riley McGree scores incredible goal with scorpion kick as Newcastle Jets reach A-League decider
WITH a flick of his right foot, Riley McGree sent a stadium into delirium, sent his team on the way to the grand final, and sent social media around the world into overdrive.
A-League
Don't miss out on the headlines from A-League. Followed categories will be added to My News.
UPDATE: WITH a flick of his right foot, Riley McGree sent a stadium into delirium, sent his team on the way to the grand final, and sent social media around the world into overdrive.
Not bad for a moment the 19-year-old admitted was part improvisation, part luck and part gamble – but it will go down as one of the most breath-taking moments Australian football has seen.
McGree’s goal in literal terms was the equaliser that brought Newcastle back into their A-League semifinal against Melbourne City, sparking a comeback from a goal down to a place in the season decider.
MCGREE MAGIC: Scorpion kick goal inspires Jets
MERRICK PRAISE: ‘Grand final is a real bonus’
ON THE MOVE: Tide turning for Newcastle
But the Socceroo’s impudent goal — his version of the scorpion kick, carried off as he ran at speed towards the City box from a ball passing behind him — was seized on by broadcasters in Europe and FIFA.com within minutes of the final whistle.
French sports newspaper L’Equipe posted video of the goal to its Facebook page and by Saturday afternoon Australian time had attracted more than 350,000 views.
🇦🇺🤯
— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) April 27, 2018
🦂🔥pic.twitter.com/TzIKmrKfGZ
Upon watching the replay I actually think I meant that...
— Riley McGree (@McgreeRiley) April 27, 2018
Great result by the boys, bring on the grand final next week.
As the Jets took in their incredible ascent from last season’s bottom club to the grand final, McGree was still trying to work out exactly what he had achieved.
“It’s hard to describe,” he said. “I was full of momentum, and just tried to get the ball over myself. I didn’t really know what to do and then it hit me that I’d scored.
“I can’t claim it was 100 per cent meant, but I’m going to claim it every day of the week. It was a good goal but you have to give credit to the team as well for the build-up.
“In that situation, any player would swing their foot at it and get the forward momentum — but the ball’s never popped up for me that well.”
It was almost literally a case of cometh the hour, cometh the man – for his goal came in the 57th minute with his side increasingly desperate for an equaliser to Bruno Fornaroli’s first half strike.
“When we conceded the first goal we never really dropped our heads,” said McGree. “We had the expectation that we’d score one, then score two. We came out firing. The way we played tonight, the combination of the defensive structure and the chances we created, they didn’t have too many clear-cut chances but we made our fair share so it was definitely deserved.
“Of course the job’s not done yet - we’ve got a grand final. We have to prepare well; we’ve had a great season but we need to finish it.
“The fans braved the weather and they were very loud, pushing us to get that extra 1%.”
McGree, only on loan at the Jets from Club Brugge until the end of the season, paid tribute to coach Ernie Merrick for the renaissance he has overseen at a club without finals football for almost a decade.
“We have a lot of freedom — he believes in all players, not just myself and gives us attacking freedom,” McGree said of Merrick. “But he expects a lot out of us defensively too — we have to be very disciplined.”