Patrick Schick’s second against Scotland on Monday afternoon will go down as one of the most remarkable major tournament goals in the history of the game.
Schick, who plies his trade for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, had already put the Czech Republic a goal to the good on 42 minutes, despite Scotland dominating for much of the opening period.
But there was better to come from the 25-year-old. Much better.
Euro 2020
Schick wonderstrike condemns Scotland to Czech defeat
3 HOURS AGO
Schick picked up the ball on halfway after a Jack Hendry long-range effort had deflected back up field. And the forward took a glance up to see David Marshall off his line before unleashing a stunning curling effort that hit the back of the net without bouncing – one of the best halfway-line goals ever scored.
“That is an unbelievable finish,” former Scotland international Darren Fletcher told BBC Sport.
“It looks easy with the goalkeeper off his line, all you have to do is put it in from the halfway line. But that is unbelievable execution from a top-class striker.”
Former Scotland manager Shelley Kerr agreed, although added that there should be criticism of both Hendry and Marshall for their roles in allowing Schick to score from so far out.
“It is a wonderful finish,” she said. “You could maybe question why Marshall is so far out of his goal.
It’s an absolutely brilliant finish, but from a Scottish side of things, Hendry shouldn’t have taken the shot from there. But make no doubt about it, Schick was top, top-drawer today.”
And BBC Sport presenter and former England striker Gary Lineker quipped: “That goal is Schick!”
Football statistics experts Opta revealed that the strike covered 49.7 yards, the furthest from which a goal has been scored in the history of the European Championships.
Few could have predicted that there would be a better goal scored by a Czech player at a European Championships than Karel Poborsky’s famous, and fabulous, lob against Portugal in Euro 96. But Schick’s effort may just have trumped the Czech legend.
Karel Poborský Celebrates his incredible lobbed goal against Portugal at Euro ’96
Image credit: Reuters
The result is a huge blow to Scotland’s chances of progressing from Group D, with games against England and Croatia to come.
And getting something from the trip to Wembey is now paramount for Steve Clarke’s side.
“I think we’ve got to remember how we got here,” Fletcher told BBC Sport.
“I’m not ruling us out against England. I know the team will be disappointed, the whole country will be disappointed. But pick yourselves up and go to Wembley and who knows what can happen. We’ve got good enough players.”
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