Even the younger observers of global football events know what to do with the name René Higuita thanks to the endless flood of cell phone films. The Colombian goalkeeper, who they called “el Loco”, the crazy one, is unforgettable thanks to his “Scorpion Kick”.
Not only because this complicated technique is rarely used, but because Higuita used it as a goalkeeper parade: After a kind of diving movement under the ball, one leg shoots up like the stinger of a scorpion, using a heel to move the ball in the desired direction.
Perfect social media content from a time without social media. The audience in Leverkusen has now been presented with this rarity live for the second time: Gladbach’s Valentino Lazaro scored here in this way in 2021. Of course, the feat was voted goal of the year.
On Saturday, Leverkusen’s Martin Terrier managed a “scorpion kick” to make it 1-0 against Cologne, coach Hjulmand spoke of a “magical moment”. Terrier is not yet a legend like Higuita, but he may have become a minor celebrity in the social media world, at least for a weekend in China, Madagascar, Peru or Iceland.
