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The shot did not fire. No user in their right mind would try it, and the maximum wouldn’t. Statisticians would then quantify this at 0. 005 xG, meaning that if you attempted the shot 199 times, the shot would not pass. The 200th time?
Federico Dimarco’s long-range shot from 56 yards down the left touchline went in, giving Inter Milan a first-half lead and a win over Frosinone that made them top of the Serie A table.
However, for the championship leaders, things weren’t so rosy as the clock ticked down to 42 minutes, with the frustration of the San Siro crowd growing with each passing second. Frosinone, back in Serie A after 4 years, and the wonder of the league this season under Eusebio di Francesco, had kept Inter’s attacking prowess at bay for much of the first half and had even raised some concerns. On the left wing.
A first pass to Hakan Calhanoglu and Inter’s transition had begun. Dimarco, as indicated by his role as left-back, went straight to the break, waiting for the ball. Still, Frosinone had intercepted and lost the ball in less than two seconds. While Dimarco bombarded forward. Henrikh Mkhitaryan picked up a loose pass from Enzo Barrenechea and levelled, before passing the ball to Dimarco.
The 26-year-old Inter defender was about 10 yards from the halfway line when Mkhitaryan made his pass and let the ball pass, Pol Lirola coming in to score with the wrong foot. Dimarco had walked away from Lirola, but when he looked at his options, there weren’t many. Denzel Dumphries had burst into the middle and perhaps gone into goal, but that would require a pass of Messi’s proportions.
If he could succeed in the Inter squad, it would be Dimarco, Serie A’s top artistic defender. Only 4 players, all midfielders, have created more chances than him this season, while Dimarco also tops the league’s xAssist ratings.
And yet, while everyone was waiting for a pass, Dimarco’s gaze drew Frosinone goalkeeper Stefano Turati just yards from his line. It’s not a huge hole (Turati doesn’t channel his inner André Onana at all), a measured balloon can simply be handled. But Dimarco has a penchant for the spectacular, which contrasts with his humble beginnings as the son of a fruit and vegetable grocer in Milan’s Porta Romana district.
His previous goal this season against Empoli was as natural as ever, earning him comparisons to Benjamin Pavard’s famous World Cup goal for France. Then, of course, Dimarco would be struggling to find the bottom of the net.
With his eyes glued to the ball, which he had yet to touch after Mkhitaryan passed it forward, Dimarco fired the ball in from 61 yards, just off the left touchline. The shot had a sure rhythm in addition to its elevation: it wasn’t a looping balloon by any means. It took just two seconds for the ball to fly over Turati and into the net, leaving San Siro speechless for a second, before the crowd erupted in a combination of joy and amazement.
Yann Sommer, Inter’s goalkeeper, had his hands on his head, incredulous at what he had witnessed. Meanwhile, Dimarco wasn’t even on the pitch when his shot went in, the inertia of his attempt sending him to the side. of the sideline. As the ball sank into the net, Dimarco’s casual run and celebratory pose failed to capture a shot that will actually be in the running for the Puskas Prize.
Dimarco was seven years old when he joined Inter’s youth academy and after making his debut at 17 and a few loan spells, he was sold to Sion in the Swiss league. He returned to the club and eventually worked his way up to the first team, where he is now. The most productive left-back in La Liga. It’s no surprise that Dimarco reflected on his career by celebrating on social media after the match. This plan started at Porta Romana, went through Interello (Inter’s academy), Ascoli, Empoli, Sion, Parma, Verona before arriving at the stadium of my dreams. “
It’s been a career for this boy who grew up 15 minutes from San Siro and now records his calling on this sacred land, one glorious purpose at a time.