The little-known reason why Son Heung-min's super rare goal vs Man Utd is called an 'Olimpico'

It was only fitting that a game as thrilling and chaotic as Tottenham's 4-3 EFL Cup quarter-final victory over Manchester United on Thursday night was ultimately settled by a goal as bizarre as it was rare.

Spurs raced to a 3-0 lead shortly after half-time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium only to be pegged back to 3-2 following a pair of howlers from goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

Then, in the 88th minute, Son Heung-min drove a dagger into United's comeback hopes by scoring directly from a corner.

Altay Bayındır, the away side's goalkeeper, complained that he'd been fouled as Son's effort sailed over his head and into the net, but the goal stood and, despite a stoppage-time header from Jonny Evans, it was enough to see Tottenham book a semi-final showdown with Liverpool in the new year.

Altay Bayindir misjudged Son Heung-min's corner (Credit:Getty)

Goals like the one Son scored, struck directly from a corner kick, are know as 'Olimpico' goals, but why?

The reason for the unusual monicker goes back to 1924, when Cesareo Onzari scored from a corner for Argentina against reigning Olympic champions Uruguay.

The swirling strike quickly became known as "Gol Olimpico" – "Olympic goal" in Spanish.

The goal, initially, was somewhat controversial as no one was quite sure whether it should have been allowed to stand. A goal scored straight from a goal kick, for instance, is not permitted and would simply result in a goal kick for the other team.

But IFAB, the game's lawmakers, confirmed that scoring from a corner – a rare occurrence though it may be – is permitted.

Olimpicos don't happen often – it is one of few feats in his glory-filled career that Lionel Messi has not achieved, for instance. But Son's goal against United adds him to a list of corner scorers that includes a handful of the game's greats.

Thierry Henry once scored straight from a corner while playing for the New York Red Bulls in MLS and USWNT icon Megan Rapinoe has scored Olimpicos at the Olympics – twice.

She first pulled it off at the London Games in 2012, then, in 2021, Rapinoe scored from a corner against Australia in the bronze medal match.