Within the space of seven days towards the end of 2024, two Premier League players performed a piece of skill not often seen: scoring directly from a corner.
First, Son Heung-min confirmed Tottenham Hotspur's passage to the EFL Cup semi-finals against Manchester United on 19 December with his set-piece effort.
Son's goal v Man Utd
Sonny's Olimpico 🤯 pic.twitter.com/8BL6Jg1A1B
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 20, 2024
Then a week later against the same opponents, Matheus Cunha repeated the trick for Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring the opener in a 2-0 win, earning the Brazilian a nomination for December's Guinness Premier League Goal of the Month.
These goals have been referred to as "Olimpicos", but where does this terminology originate from?
Cunha's goal v Man Utd
Matheus Cunha's Boxing Day Olimpico is up for the @PremierLeague goal of the month! 👏 pic.twitter.com/s1n0gWU76d
— Wolves (@Wolves) January 2, 2025
Origins of the 'Olimpico'
The term "Olimpico" comes from the first recorded goal direct from a corner 100 years ago, on the international stage as Argentina played Uruguay.
Cesareo Onzari scored it, but unlike the Panenka - the chipped penalty-kick named after Czech player Antonin Panenka - the Argentinian did not get the credit.
As Onzari scored the goal against the reigning Olympic champions, the "Gol Olimpico" was born, even though the goal was not during the Games but a friendly.
There was much-debate at the time about the validity of the goal, but football's rule-making body IFAB had months earlier given the go-ahead to allow such set-piece strikes.
Other Premier League 'Olimpicos'
In over 30 years of the Premier League, just 19 "Olimpico" goals have been scored - and one player has netted two of them!
Ashley Westwood achieved the feat, doing so twice for Burnley in 2019 and 2020 against Liverpool at Anfield and then versus Southampton at St Mary's.
Every Premier League 'Olimpico'
Eight months before Cunha's effort against Man Utd, James Ward-Prowse's outrageous late goal directly from a corner, helped West Ham United to a 2-1 comeback win away at Wolves in April 2024.
The others to score in that manner include Everton's Dwight McNeil, Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, West Bromwich Albion's Matheus Pereira and Watford's Ben Watson.
