Thiago Almada finds top bin with one of the best free-kicks you'll see this decade, he only scores bangers
Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada boosted his reputation as one of Major League Soccer's biggest talents with a wonderful 35-yard free-kick in their clash against Portland.
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder, who was part of Argentina's World Cup-winning squad in Qatar, has impressed for Gonzalo Pineda's side since making his highly-anticipated move from Velez Sarsfield last year.
In fact, he became the first player in Major League Soccer history to notch at least four goals and four assists in his club's first four games of the season on Saturday night after netting a brace.
Almada showcased his talent in this weekend's clash against Portland, especially in the first-half, when he bagged an inch-perfect free-kick from range. How good is this?
OMG Thiago Almada! 😱
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 19, 2023
Absolute world-class strike. pic.twitter.com/cxnCYD0Rky
Almada's night began with an assist for Caleb Wiley, who opened the scoring with 25 minutes played. And the Argentine continued to impress on a memorable night at the 71,00-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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After they sealed a 5-1 win, his teammates were full of praise for the highly-rated attacking midfielder.
"For Thiago, you're going to have to break the bank. For one, he's a quality guy week in and week out," Atlanta winger Derrick Etienne Jr. said in his post-match interview.
"He's putting himself in great spots, he's doing very well, and you can just see the quality he brings every single day."
Former Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who is a regular for the MLS outfit, went on to say we are all "witnessing a talented young player start to blossom."
The American added: "With that being said, he is young, and it's not always easy to keep up this sort of form, but we know he's got the talent.
"If he keeps up the rate he's going now, he's going surpass [Almiron's record] easily."
The record Guzan is referring to is Miguel Almiron's $27 million transfer from Atlanta to Premier League side Newcastle in 2019, which still stands as an MLS-record fee.
Thiago Almada (21) and Caleb Wiley (18) have combined for 12 goals and assists in 4 matches for Atlanta United this season
— MLS Buzz (@MLS_Buzz) March 19, 2023
Unreal start 🇺🇸🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/fFo5jMQdDE
"I hope Thiago continues with this good run," Atlanta coach Pineda said after the game against Portland.
"Now with the national team, hopefully he gets minutes, he gets that confidence again, and when he's back ... he's proving that week-by-week, and then I hope, yes, we can do good in there."
Thoughts on that free-kick?
Let us know in the comments.
Jack Kenmare