By Jaime Uribarri
Joaquín Pereyra may want to make space on his trophy shelf for the AT&T MLS Goal of the Year award.
Minnesota United FC‘s Designated Player midfielder made his case for the prize on Saturday by scoring a brilliant rabona golazo to spark a 5-1 blowout win at the San Jose Earthquakes.
Performing arguably the rarest and most technically demanding maneuver in soccer, Pereyra beat Scottish international goalkeeper Angus Gunn inside the box with a world-class finish to cancel out Timo Werner‘s penalty-kick opener.
Momentous win
Pereyra opened the floodgates for Minnesota, the 27-year-old Argentine adding two assists while fellow DP and top scorer Kelvin Yeboah (10 goals) netted a brace.
Marcus Caldeira and Mauricio González scored in the second half to round out the 5-1 result, the most lopsided win of Cameron Knowles’ tenure since taking over as head coach ahead of the 2026 season.
It also snapped a nine-game winless streak for the Loons, who are looking to jump back into the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs picture during the stretch run.
With Pereyra’s masterful goal inspiring a statement performance, Minnesota will like their chances.
HIGHLIGHTS: San Jose Earthquakes vs. Minnesota United | August 22, 2026
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
