Didier Drogba notched his second goal of the season with a superb free kick goal to give the Bleu-Blanc-Noir an early lead against the Colorado Rapids. Drogba’s set piece and Maxim Tissot’s fantastic low driven strike in the second half weren’t enough, as the match at Stade Saputo ended in a 2-2 draw.
Didier Drogba 9’ (1-0)
The goal
He’d done it before. This past weekend, Didier Drogba proved that his free kick goal against Colorado last October was no fluke, as the Ivorian buried another one from a similar distance.
This free kick was from a central location 25 yards out, just a tad to the left side of the pitch. The ball needed to rise up just enough to clear the wall and drop into the goal.
Colorado’s unorthodox eight-player wall couldn’t prevent Drogba from hitting the ball inches over their heads and having the ball curl and dip low, out of the reach of goalkeeper Zac MacMath. The Impact striker struck a perfect balance of technical components required from a free kick from that range.
As for the free kick decision itself, it was a decision the referee had to make when Rapids defender Bobby Burling dragged down Ignacio Piatti on his way to goal.
The action leading up the free kick call was due to a Colorado turnover near midfield. Harry Shipp blocked Shkëlzen Gashi’s pass, which found Drogba instead. Drogba shrugged off an initial challenge from Burling and found Piatti in space. Piatti dribbled with pace towards goal, trying to take advantage of Colorado’s disorganization in transition, when he was brought down by Burling. Had it not been so early in the game, the referee probably would have shown a yellow card.
Any set piece in the offensive third is a free opportunity for a team to cause trouble. Teams need to avoid careless fouls in this area of the pitch, which in some situations is not possible. Burling’s decision to foul on this play was the right one, as Piatti seemed like he was through on goal.
