A scorpion kick by Lizbeth Ovalle, the most expensive player ever in women’s soccer, and Santiago Montiel’s long-distance overhead shot won the FIFA awards on Tuesday for best goals last season.
Both had their backs to the net when scoring the winners. Fans voted for Ovalle and Montiel to receive the Marta Award and Puskas Award, respectively.
Ovalle flicked the ball with her heels in a midair leap facing away from goal playing in the Mexican league for Tigres against Guadalajara.
The women’s award is named for Brazil great Marta who is now Ovalle’s teammate at Orlando Pride. Marta won the award last year and also had a goal nominated by FIFA for this year’s edition.
Ovalle, who is also known as Jacquie, moved for a women’s world record transfer fee of $1.5 million to join the Pride from Tigres in August.
Montiel scored for Independiente in a game in Argentina’s Primera Division against Independiente Rivadavia. He leaped in the air about 22 meters (yards) out rising to meet a bouncing ball after a defender’s clearing header from a corner.
FIFA is staging its annual Best Awards at a private dinner in Doha on the sidelines of Paris Saint-Germain playing Flamengo in the Intercontinental Cup game on Wednesday.
The awards for best player and best coach in men’s and women’s soccer were due later Tuesday.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
