Andrea Pirlo Just Scored Another Incredible Free Kick Goal

This is Juventus's Andrea Pirlo. He's 100 years old, and, aside from the greatest flowing mane of hair to ever grace a human's head, looks older than that. No one has seen him move in earnest in six or seven years, but he scores stunning free kicks all the time. This is one of those times.

We know, we know. Pirlo scores a free kick, grass remains green, etc. This one, however, feels a little extra-stupendous because of how close he is. A lot of players in this situation—even the better ones—have a tough time to get it over a 5-man wall, then back down again to hit the target. Many choose to go low, or curl it into one of the top quarters. The best in the world, like Cristiano Ronaldo (and Juninho before him) can strike the top of the ball, causing it to knuckle and dip. Pirlo can do all of that. We've seen Pirlo do all of that. He chose none.

Instead, he just struck through the ball, which exploded from his foot and rose on a rope right into the top right corner as half of Fiorentina's squad in the wall turned, naught but dicks in hand. To hit a dead ball like that from that close takes ridiculous skill, of course, but importantly, it takes confidence. Pirlo has that, because he's 100 years old, and has flawless hair, and is a multi-multi-millionaire, and can do things with a soccer ball no one else can.