River Plate were forced to play midfielder Enzo Perez in goal during their Copa Libertadores clash against Santa Fe - and he picked up the Man of the Match award for his remarkable efforts.
A COVID-19 outbreak ahead of Wednesday's cup game meant 20 of River's players, including all four goalkeepers, were ruled out, leaving just 11 fully fit players available for selection.
Marcelo Gallardo's side tried to get another goalkeeper on board but CONMEBOL refused to sanction the use of an academy player, so former Valencia and Benfica midfielder Perez stepped up to the plate. It's fair to say he didn't disappoint.
Perez made a number of crucial stops, helping his side to a surprise 2-1 victory.
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In fact, the 35-year-old midfielder, who was carrying a hamstring injury going into the game, was named Man of the Match after his heroic performance. You can see Perez's individual highlights below. This is genuinely one of the great football stories.
Perez, who played for Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final against Germany, was expected to concede a hatful of goals against Santa Fe in the South American equivalent of the Champions League, but he stood tall in between the sticks.
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Goals from Fabrizio Angileri and Julian Alavarez in the opening six minutes gave River the perfect start.
They continued to dominate, leaving Perez with just the basics to do - but he did them admirably.
In the days prior to the win, Perez was even saving penalties in training as he prepared for the upcoming Copa Libertadores clash.
This is definitely one of the best moments of the season so far. Take a bow, Enzo Perez.
Featured Image Credit: @TheLibertadores/TwitterTopics: River Plate, Football
