You probably haven’t heard of Jaime Chavez, and that’s absolutely fine.
The former Hollywood United Hitmen forward (honestly, it’s a real team, look it up – at least it used to be. Anthony LaPaglia was the part-owner and goalkeeper. Seriously, we’re not making this up) has never played outside of the United States lower-leagues.
He’s now at Miami FC, who are managed by Alessandro Nesta and boast former Premier League midfielder Wilson ‘yes, he’s still playing’ Palacios among their ranks.
They also play on Florida International University’s college football pitch. That’s American football, rather than soccer, meaning gridiron markings.
All of this gives a rather surreal air to Chavez’s strike, the opener in a 2-2 draw with Joe Cole’s Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Jamie Chavez and his ridiculous goal for #MiamiFC against the @TampaBayRowdies last night. #Filth #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/iA57n35IxA
— The First Eleven (@TFE_USA) October 15, 2016
Chavez’s technique belies a player who managed a good-but-not-great 16 goals in two seasons for the Atlanta Silverbacks (have we mentioned how much we love American team names?), and the clean-as-a-whistle volley is up there with the best goals scored in the North American Soccer League (NASL) this season.
It might not be *the* best, however – you may remember Cole scoring a stunner of his own for Tampa earlier in the season.
But we’ll wager it’s the best goal scored this season at a university stadium on a pitch with American football markings during a Coastal Cup (again, absolutely real) fixture.
With three games left in the NASL Fall Season, Chavez has even more time to prove that the Los Angeles Misioneros were wrong to let him go. God we love that league.
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