Adriano – Superhuman

A superhero. There is no other word for a player who played and scored for Brazil against Colombia on Wednesday, missed his flight home, caught the next one, landed at 07:20 on Saturday, exhausted and with his body clock five hours out of sync, and still had Inter’s league game wrapped up by 15:11 on Sunday. Just eleven minutes after kick-off. In that time, Adriano Leite Ribeiro had scored two of the finest goals ever seen at San Siro.

Catching an intercontinental flight can be a tricky business, of course. Every so often, when returning from Brazil, Adriano would hit a bit of traffic on his way to the airport. Flights from São Paulo to Milano did not leave every hour, so that could mean another half-day’s wait or more. After the October 2004 international break, Adri arrived in Milano on Saturday morning, in time for the final training session, where the effects of the journey and jet lag were plain to see.

Under normal circumstances, he would have started on the bench. But Cruz was still short of match fitness, Martins was injured and Recoba was nursing a knock after taking a penalty in training. “OK, but let’s make it quick,” Adriano must have said. Then he produced this.

Eight minutes in, a free-kick from 28 metres. A ferocious, curling left-footed strike. De Sanctis could only watch the ball fly in.

Eleven minutes in, a corner. For Udinese. Verón’s ball forward was more clearance than pass, and Adriano collected it deep inside his own half. Then he set off like something out of a video game, one against the world. He left five opponents in his wake over 60 metres before burying another left-footed finish. An incredible goal. Front-page material. The celebration was just as memorable: a hand pressed firmly to his ear, as if to say, “I want to hear you. I want to hear you now.”

There was still time for Mauri to make it 2-1 and for Vieri to wrap up a 3-1 win, ending his six-month wait for a goal. But with all due respect to Bobone, who scored a beauty of his own, that afternoon will always be remembered for Adriano’s brace. Anyone who was there will need no reminding.