An iconic moment forever enshrined in Adelaide United folklore, Pablo Sánchez’s emphatic strike put the finishing touches on the 2016 A-League Grand Final win over Western Sydney Wanderers.
As stoppage time loomed and with the contest still on a knife’s edge, the diminutive Spaniard entered the fray in what would be a fleeting but impactful cameo appearance.
Three minutes later, he capitalised on an errant pass, drove forward and arrowed his shot beyond goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne to make it 3-1 in the 89th minute.
While Sánchez raced off in celebration, the 50,119 strong crowd at Adelaide Oval erupted, sparking wild scenes of jubilation as the title was theirs.
It was Sánchez’s final act for United but he will always be synonymous with that fateful day in May 2016.
“I remember that moment perfectly,” Sánchez recalled.
“It was the best moment in my career when I scored the goal in the Grand Final.
“I was thinking about this moment all week because I knew I would be on the bench, but I will have minutes to have a chance.
“And every day I went to bed I said to myself, ‘Pablo you’ll have a chance’.
“In this moment in the 89th minute, I got the ball, I shot and knew 100% that I’d score.
“Every time I think about this I get emotional, maybe I’ve watched this video 1,000 times.”
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