It should come as no surprise that one of the greatest strikes in Sporting Kansas City history is up for AT&T 2020 MLS Goal of the Year.
Erik Hurtado's stunning volley that gave Sporting a 2-1 win over Nashville SC on Oct. 11 is one of 16 nominees for the annual award. Fan voting is open at MLSsoccer.com through Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m. CT.
The MLSsoccer.com voting ballot allows fans to rank their top four goals of the 2020 MLS regular season. Hurtado stands the chance of becoming the second Sporting Kansas City player to win AT&T MLS Goal of the Year accolades. Krisztian Nemeth claimed the honor in 2015 for his jaw-dropping solo run and finish in a 1-0 victory against the Portland Timbers.
Hurtado's masterclass against Nashville was, in many ways, even more impressive than Nemeth's. His technique and execution to steer a high-arching long ball from Amadou Dia into the far left corner had all the makings of a perfect volley. It also drew inevitable comparisons to Marco van Basten's famous strike for the Netherlands in the 1988 European Championship.
A strong second season in Kansas City saw Hurtado become one of five Sporting players to hit at least five goals over the course of the regular season. He and Khiry Shelton bagged five apiece, one off the team lead shared by Gadi Kinda, Alan Pulido and Johnny Russell. Among players with at least three goals in 2020, Hurtado leads MLS with 1.2 goals per 90 minutes played.
Hurtado and top-seeded Sporting will begin their journey in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs on Nov. 22, hosting the No. 8 seed San Jose Earthquakes in the Western Conference quarterfinals at Children's Mercy Park. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CT with a limited number of tickets available on SeatGeek.com while supplies last. The contest will also be shown live nationally on FS1, FOX Deportes and the FOX Sports app.
