When Marcelo Balboa leapt to sweetly connect with an Anders Limpar cross at the then named Crew Stadium in Columbus, he was not in unchartered territory. While his acrobatic bicycle kick on that occasion – April 22, 2000 – flew into the back of the net, he had attempted the move previously and narrowly missed.
During the USA’s infamous 2-1 win over Colombia during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, in front of more than 93,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Balboa almost scored what would have been one of the tournament’s greatest goals.
He had clearly fine-tuned his technique, scoring what would be the MLS Goal of the Year in 2000.