Didier Drogba unleashes thunderbolt in USL match (Video)

Didier Drogba scored an absolute stunner of a free kick in a USL match on Saturday.

In case you were unaware, Chelsea legend Didier Drogba still plays soccer in the United States. He is a member of Phoenix Rising FC in the USL top division. He is also a co-owner of the club. This is surely the first instance of a soccer club’s owner also being their best player.

The Phoenix Rising faced LA Galaxy II on Saturday night. In the 13th minute, Drogba stood over a free kick that was easily 35 yards out, probably more. Then he did this:

That is an absolute heat-seeking missile. Drogba hit that ball as well as a human being can hit a soccer ball. He strikes it so hard and true that, upon first viewing, it’s difficult to track the ball’s trajectory. If you blink, you will literally miss it.

During the 2009-10 Premier League season, Drogba scored 29 goals and added 10 assists for Chelsea. He scored 11 the following season. He wouldn’t score double-digit goals in league play again until he moved to MLS, joining the Montreal Impact in 2015. Drogba would score 12 and 10 goals, respectively, in two seasons with the Impact.

He then turned his sights on the USL, the longstanding second division of professional soccer under MLS. The organization plays a vital role in player development in the United States. Recently, it has had to withstand competition from the reborn NASL, but the two leagues have settled into a begrudging stasis.

Drogba obviously sees potential in the club and the league, which is a good sign for soccer in America. The more investors and successful clubs, even outside MLS, the better off the sport will be.

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Drogba is 39 years old now. That’s ancient for a soccer player. But he just scored one of the most spectacular goals of his career.