Lizbeth Ovalle's adapted ‘scorpion kick' – the most startling goal of 2025

New York Times

04-03-2025

When a cross comes into the box, most attackers think to head the ball goalwards or catch it on their laces for a volley. But not Lizbeth Ovalle.
Football has a way of providing brilliant moments. The Mexican winger, 25, created one at the Estadio Universitario in San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico, this week, scoring in a truly innovative way as her side Tigres UANL beat Guadalajara 2-0 in Liga MX Femenil.
'Marta! Marta! Marta!' one commenter posted on Bluesky, referring to FIFA's award, named after former Brazil captain Marta, that celebrates the best goal in women's football each year.
La locura de gol de @lizbethovalle7.
Hey @fifacom_es te tenemos una nominada al premio Puskás. pic.twitter.com/TQIcKXK499
— Club Tigres Femenil 🐯 (@TigresFemenil) March 4, 2025
It came from a corner that was initially cleared but ended up back at the feet of the taker, World Cup-winner Jenni Hermoso of Spain, who tapped it around a defender onto her favoured left foot, ready to cross the ball.
There are some very small differences between the picture above and below, but they are important ones. Ovalle anticipates the cross from her team-mate Hermoso and while possibly offside in the above photo, she repositions herself in line with the last defender to get back onside before Hermoso meets the ball with her foot and crosses.
The cross is slightly ahead of Ovalle, so instead of chasing the ball and attempting to flick it on with her head for her unmarked team-mates at the back post, she stops and turns on the spot, judging the flight of the ball for when to stretch out her legs behind her.
With clear intentions, Ovalle connects with the ball from the bottom of her left boot, flicking her foot upwards shortly beforehand, therefore pushing the ball back airborne with the momentum of the cross.
With the ball lofted over Guadalajara goalkeeper Blanca Felix, everyone is left watching as the ball floats into the net, and Hermoso (out of picture) drops to her knees in celebration and awe.
It was a moment of the highest quality, breaking the deadlock of a game that was 0-0 until the 75th minute. Ovalle would go on to assist the second. Her fine form shows that her finishing was no fluke: she has 10 goals in 10 Clausura league games and scored 18 last season. Her nickname? La Maga — 'the magician'.
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'I don't even know what to call this technique!' Stuart Holden, a former United States midfielder and now analyst on Fox Soccer, posted on X.
This has to be in the scorpion kick family, given that Ovalle replicates the scorpion movement with her legs — curling them back towards her head like a scorpion tail.
The unusual thing about the movement is that she kicks facing away from the goal, rather than towards it, using the bottom of her boot to flick the ball upwards, continuing its momentum towards the back post.
Commonly, players attempting scorpion kicks use their heel to add power and direct a cross goalwards, but Ovalle jumped away from the ball and adapted quite brilliantly to instead lob the goalkeeper with the bottom of her boot.
Colombian goalkeeper Rene Higuita still wins for shock factor when he cleared away a shot on goal with a scorpion kick in a friendly against England at Wembley in 1995 (the linesman had raised his flag for offside, but the referee had not blown his whistle).
GO DEEPER
The South American goalkeeping legends that made the Copa America their stage
Olivier Giroud perhaps provided the textbook example of how to score from a scorpion kick in 2017 for Arsenal against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
🗓️ 8 years ago today…
Olivier Giroud scored this scorpion kick 🤩 pic.twitter.com/PdXVJFWiNA
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 1, 2025
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lauren Hemp have scored similar versions as well.
Celebrating 6️⃣ wonderful City years of @lauren__hemp with this outrageous backheel finish! 🩵✍️ pic.twitter.com/oLhIM5wRhR
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 31, 2024
Now, though, Ovalle has evolved the scorpion kick once again and used it in a way many had not envisaged. Who knew a scorpion kick could be threatening even when looking the other way?