The first half of Nashville SC vs Toluca saw five goals scored in a thrilling first 45 minutes which was topped off in dramatic fashion by Brazilian goalkeeper Tiago Volpi. No - he didn't provide a game-changing save but scored a penalty to bring his tally for the Mexican side to three this season.
A headed effort from Zimmerman opened the scoring for the hosts, before Toluca's Marcel Ruiz levelled things up. Nashville then edged ahead once more through Fafà Picault on the 37th minute, only to be denied once more by the 22-year-old Ruiz on the 44th minute.
A long VAR check for handball resulted in a penalty given to the LIGA MXside, and the one and only Tiago Volpi stepped up to the task to dispatch from 12-yards out. On the outside the sight of a goalkeeper stepping up to take a penalty is one that is considered as an excitable novelty, but Volpi's teammates trusted their 32-year-old set piece technician.
Volpi calmly slotted the ball past his Nashville colleague, Elliot Panicco, as Toluca took the lead. The Brazilian had just scored his third goal for the club, and his third this season. In fact, it is the former Querétaro stopper's third goal in three successive games - making him his side's top-scorer in the process. Unbelievable scenes.
The Brazilian is a former goalkeeper of São Paulo FC, also the former home of a man who is considered one of the all-time greats as a goal-scoring keeper: Rogério Ceni. Ceni had scored over 100 goals, and is recognised as the goalkeeper who has scored the most goals in the history of soccer. Meanwhile, Volpi still has a long way to go - but is still in inspiring attacking form.
The Toluca shot-stopper scored four goals last season for the LIGA MXside, in the first season that he hit the back of the net at the professional level. In four appearances at the start of the 2023-24 season he has his three already. A sight to behold.
