Atlanta United’s Jamal Thiare tricks goalie for sneaky stoppage-time winner

Thanks to stealth and cunning, Jamal Thiare became a hero for Atlanta United on Saturday.

With the game tied in stoppage time against Toronto FC, Thiare scored a goal out of nowhere to give his team a 2-1 victory. A later replay showed what happened.

Thiare had walked to the back of the goal to playfully drink from Toronto goalkeeper Luka Gavran’s water bottle after an Atlanta scoring opportunity. Gavran didn’t notice the move, nor did the Senegalese forward following him as he walked away from the goal with the ball.

As Gavran rolled the ball clear, Thiaré lunged to steal it and score the winning goal.

Not a single Toronto player caught on camera looked back to warn Gavran of his shadow.

“It’s exactly how we wanted it,” Atlanta interim coach Rob Valentino joked after the game. “I would say I’m on the younger side when it comes to training and playing, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Thiaré is in his first season with Atlanta United after five years at French club Le Havre.

The win was much needed for Atlanta, who now hold a 6-6-8 record after a disappointing season that has already seen them fire head coach Gonzalo Pineda. They currently sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Nashville SC for the final guaranteed spot in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.