There’s a phrase for basketball players with prodigious 3-point shooting ability that says they’re within range as soon as they enter the arena. We may need to coopt that expression for soccer after this insane Florian Neuhaus goal vs Mainz on Saturday.
Borussia Monchengladbach maintained its spot in the top three of the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win over Mainz. Alassane Pléa scored two goals after Robin Quaison opened the scoring for the visitors, but we only care about the Neuhaus goal scored in the 88th minute.
Neuhaus launched a perfect chip from 40 yards out, leaving poor Mainz keeper Robin Zentner with no chance following an ill-advised header.
Florian Neuhaus Goal vs Mainz
FLORIAN NEUHAUS FROM DOWNTOWN! pic.twitter.com/1rpfXepoQV
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) January 25, 2020
For most players, this is a once-in-a-lifetime goal. But it wasn’t even Neuhaus’ farthest goal.
Back when he was with 1860 Munich’s youth team, Neuhaus scored this goal from midfield against Borussia Dortmund.
The 22-year-old Neuhaus has never appeared for the senior Germany national team (he has 23 appearances at younger levels), but after this goal we hope to see him given a shot. Who wouldn’t want to see Neuhaus lob a 50-yard golazo over England’s Jordan Pickford in the final of the 2020 Euros?
And yet, the Neuhaus goal vs Mainz wasn't even the best long-range blast of the day.
That belonged to Atalanta forward Josip Iličić, who launched this quick free kick from near midfield to complete his hat trick against Torino.
