LEAGUE OF Ireland star Jordan Flores may have just written his name into FIFA folklore after his stunning “Goal of the Year” contender for Dundalk.
Facing off against Shamrock Rovers in a top-of-the-table clash played in front of a record crowd, Flores found a way to steal most of the headlines despite his team ending up on the wrong end of a 3-2 defeat.
Already 1-0 down to the hosts, the Wigan-born midfielder fired home a spectacular acrobatic volley to restore parity at the Tallaght Stadium.
It was a stunning strike, with the 24-year-old displaying an incredible degree of skill and athleticism to not only connect with the ball, sent in from a corner, but it on target in the process.
Shamrock Rovers 1-1 Dundalk - Wow! Jordan Flores scores a goal of the season contender to level things at Tallaght. You'll be watching this goal for years to come. #rtesocer pic.twitter.com/tIhtCrKfml
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) February 28, 2020
While his teammates and the watching fans were evidently impressed with his sublime efforts, it soon became apparent that much of the watching football world was suitably enamoured too.
Clips of Flores’s goal began doing the rounds on Twitter and Reddit, with most fans labelling it a serious contender for the annual FIFA Puskas Award.
First established in 2009, the Puskas Award is given to the player, male or female, judged to have scored the most aesthetically significant, or "most beautiful", goal of the previous calendar year.
It would appear that Flores is a serious contender for the award too, with FIFA even taking to Twitter to applaud his strike in what could be a strong indication of their intent to name it among the nominees for the award.
😱 A potential candidate for the #Puskas Award?
👏 Take a bow, Jordan Flores
🚀 Will we see this stunner nominated at #TheBest?pic.twitter.com/TZgF8asFzX— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) February 28, 2020
A former Wigan Athletic academy star, Flores spent time on loan at Blackpool, Chesterfield, AFC Fylde and Ostersund before joining Dundalk on a permanent basis in January 2019.
Despite scoring in spectacular fashion on the night, both Flores and Dundalk will be disappointed with the end result, which saw Shamrock Rovers claim victory with a 3-2 win that leaves them three points clear of the visitors going into a crucial few weeks in the League of Ireland.
Even so, fans will be watching this goal for years to come.
