BRIGHTON, England (AP) — Diego Gomez did a Beckham.
Collecting the ball near the halfway line, the Brighton midfielder advanced just inside Crystal Palace’s half and launched a 50-meter shot over stranded goalkeeper Walter Benitez and into the net for a spectacular goal in the seventh minute of the Premier League match at Amex Stadium on Sunday.
The Paraguay international’s shot revived memories of a strike from a similar range from David Beckham when playing for Manchester United against Wimbledon on the opening day of the 1996-97 Premier League season.
It remains one of English soccer’s most famous goals and thrusted Beckham into the global spotlight.
Gomez’s goal put Brighton 2-0 ahead against its biggest rival — and the team went 3-0 up three minutes later before running out a 5-0 winner.
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