This past Saturday night vs. Toronto FC, Jamal Thiare scored a rather ridiculous and unbelievable goal to win the match for Atlanta United. Thanks to this edit on X (via request from MLS’s Andrew Wiebe), this type of goal has a name: a “Pink Panther goal”.
Pink Panther goals are rare, but have happened plenty of times before around the world. Inspired by Thiare’s winner, we wanted to look back at the recent history of the Pink Panther goal in world football, starting with…
Gary Crosby, Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester City, March 3, 1990
While there are a few examples of the Pink Panther goal before the 2000s, the most famous was surely Nottingham Forest’s Gary Crosby heading the ball out of City goalkeeper Andy Dibble’s hand for a goal.
After a cross claimed by Dibble, Crosby had gone back to the advertising boards after his attempt at a header. Seeing that Dibble only had one hand on the bottom of the ball, he snuck up behind the goalkeeper, headed the ball out of his hand, scored on the empty net, and the goal was surprisingly (and rightfully) given. It was the only goal of the match as Forest went on to win 1-0.
Robbie Keane, Tottenham Hotspur vs. Birmingham City, April 5, 2003
LA Galaxy legend Robbie Keane scored a goal out of Thiare’s playbook long before his move to MLS with Tottenham in 2003. He snuck up behind Birmingham goalkeeper Andy Marriott, stole the ball, and scored when the keeper was only 7 minutes into his first appearance with the club. Tottenham would win the match 2-1 and Marriott’s first appearance would end up being his last.
David Johnson, Nottingham Forest vs. Norwich City, August 30, 2003
For the second time in a calendar year, the Pink Panther goal appeared in England. This time, Robert Green of Norwich City failed to check behind his shoulder as David Johnson of Nottingham Forest stole the ball and slotted it home, leading to a comfortable 2-0 win for the home side.
Nani, Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur, October 30, 2010
One of the most famous goals on this list had former Orlando City player Nani score a really confusing goal for Manchester United. After racing into the box and going down under pressure from Younes Kaboul produced no penalty call, Nani handled the ball on the turf. So, Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes threw the ball out in front of him in expectation of a free kick, only to find out that the center ref hadn’t seen the handball. Nani awkwardly waited in front of the ball, and, after a moment of confusion and realization that the ball was live, comfortably slotted the ball home to lead United to a 2-0 win.
Steven Lenhart, San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy, June 25, 2011
This isn’t a goal, but it’s the most similar moment in MLS history that compares to Thiare’s goal. Steven Lenhart snuck up behind LA Galaxy goalie Josh Saunders and headed the ball out of his hands when he had two hands on it and full control. This caused Saunders to retaliate as he elbowed Lenhart in the face and received a red card, forcing the Galaxy to put a forward (Mike Magee) in goal and creating one of the more memorable moments in California Clásico history. Magee ended up making 4 saves for LA as they held on for an improbable 0-0 draw.
Carlos Fierro, Chivas vs. Puebla, April 8, 2017
This was the first Pink Panther goal with added stoppage-time drama, as Carlos Fierro stole the ball and scored in the 93rd minute for Chivas as they won 3-2. The dramatic win ended up putting Chivas top of Liga MX and left Puebla at the bottom of the league, with Chivas going on to win the Clausura liguilla.
Macauley Bonne, Ipswich Town vs. Sheffield Wednesday, September 25, 2021
The most recent example of the Pink Panther goal had Bonne (sounds close to Bond, don’t you think?) sneaking up behind Wednesday goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell, stealing the ball, and playing it to Scott Fraser, who set up Conor Chaplin for the 90th-minute equalizer. The match would finish in a 1-1 draw.
Jose Alvarado vs. the NBA, 2021-2024
Is this soccer? No, but Thiare must have taken inspiration from New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jose Alvarado. Alvarado, famous for leading Georgia Tech to a 2021 ACC Tournament Championship, has been given the nickname “Grand Theft Alvarado” for his famous steals, where he hides in the corner of the basketball court and steals the ball from the opposition who have no clue he is behind them.
Alvarado himself approves of Thiare’s goal!
Jamal Thiare vs. Toronto FC, June 29, 2024
Relive it. Savor it. Enjoy it. We may never see a goal like this for Atlanta United again.
[…] Azul. He proceeded to tally a total of 8 goals across 33 total appearances – including the famous Pink Panther goal – and earning his team a couple of penalties. He’s dealt with a fair amount of injury […]
I would pay good money to see eleven Steven Lenharts play against the current Gregg Berhalter coached USMNT and watch the 11 Steven Lenharts commit absolute war crimes of the highest severity against our talented but soft national team.
Bloody brilliant