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Sleepy? Drowsy? Low energy? Don't worry, Sporting Cristal right-back Jhilmar Lora brings you the caffeine you need today in the form of a phenomenal goal scored in the Copa Libertadores on Tuesday night.
I mean, an absolute scandalaous golazo.
Sporting Cristal needed to fight back a 2-0 deficit from the first-leg vs. Club Nacional from Paraguay in their quest for a slot in the group stage of the 2023 Copa Libertadores. And things were not easy. Nacional was being a stone in the shoe and heading to the 90th minute, the series was 3-3 on aggregate.
But then, the skies cleared and a ray of light illuminated Lora's path.
Jhilmar Lora goal – Sporting Cristal vs Nacional
The right-back got a ball near Nacional's box, cut inside, and from the vertex, tried a sombrerito, a lob that went perfectly right behind goalkeeper Héctor Espínola for a goal that will be hard to forget.
⚽ ¡El golazo que rompió el partido para @ClubSCristal!
La genial definición de Jhilmar Lora, el cuarto del equipo peruano, que aseguró el lugar en la Fase 3 de la CONMEBOL #Libertadoores. pic.twitter.com/vJBpCWmpiY— CONMEBOL Libertadores (@Libertadores) March 1, 2023
Lora hit the ball with the inside part of his right foot and in the replays it looks like he was actually trying to send in a cross. The player, however, insisted he attempted the shot.
¡GOLAZO DE SPORTING CRISTAL!
Jhilmar Lora está metiendo a los peruanos en Fase 3 con una OBRA DE ARTEGlobal: 4️⃣-3️⃣
No te pierdas el Sporting Cristal vs. Nacional EN VIVO por beIN SPORTS XTRA Ñ.#Libertadores #GloriaEterna pic.twitter.com/m4y0y2CLtY
— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) March 1, 2023
"I wanted to shoot on target. Nobody was in the box and I went for the lob. I thought the ball would not go into the net," he said after the game.
Lora's goal was enough for Sporting Cristal to advance to the next stage, but Washington Corozo added an extra goal in added time for a final 5-1 (5-3 on aggregate).
In the next round, Sporting Cristal will face the series winner between Boston River (Uruguay) and Huracán (Argentina) for a spot in the group stage of the biggest and oldest CONMEBOL club tournament.
