Was Nicolas Lodeiro’s goal intended as a shot or a pass?

There’s a bit of a low-key debate “raging” around Nicolas Lodeiro’s goal on Sunday. It was, to be sure, a very well placed free kick. But was it intended as a shot or as a pass?

Lodeiro, at least, insists it was a very purposeful attempt.

“I work for this,” he said in the postgame locker room. “I work everyday on this shot. I work with the team, we know the movement. This time it was not lucky, because we try to shoot.”

Whether or not it was actually intended as a shot is probably a bit beside the point. Lodeiro placed the ball in a way that made it forced the goalkeeper to make a choice: Does he track the runners cutting in front of him or does he guard the far post? In this case, he chose to mark the runners, probably the sensible choice.

Beyond that, Lodeiro probably deserves a bit more of the benefit of the doubt. He is, after all, on a run that has seen him score five goals and grab two assists in his past six matches.