Jhon Murillo's audacious backheel goal rescues America in Colombian clasico against Nacional

It was barely ten minutes into the match and the clasico already had everything. Atletico Nacional had taken the lead through a goal from Cardona, and everything pointed to the Verdolagas controlling the game from there. But America de Cali answered almost immediately with a play that's going to stick in the memory of anyone who saw it.

It was the 7th minute when Adrian Quinones carried the ball down the wing, played a long pass, reached the byline and delivered a cross that Jhon Murillo finished in the most unusual way possible: with a backheel, leaving goalkeeper Armani with no chance. It was the kind of goal you don't see every day, let alone in a clasico of this magnitude.

The match was played at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, a venue that gave a different backdrop to this traditional Colombian soccer rivalry. Playing far from home didn't take anything away from the intensity of the match. If anything, it made it even more appealing for the crowd that showed up to watch two of the country's most popular clubs.

A goal that changed the mood of the match

Murillo's goal wasn't just a moment of individual brilliance. Above all, it was a psychological boost right when America needed a response. Falling behind so early in a clasico can weigh on a team, and the Venezuelan forward's quick answer restored balance to a match that had barely gotten started.

The play originated out wide, with Quinones using his speed to get to the byline and forcing Nacional's defense to drop back. That kind of low, precise cross usually ends in a more conventional finish. Murillo chose the least predictable option and pulled it off with enough quality to catch Armani off guard.

The final score of the clasico ended up taking a back seat, in many ways, to the quality of that single moment. Cardona had opened the scoring for the Verdolagas, and Murillo answered with a piece of technique that sums up why these matches always generate so much anticipation, no matter what city or country they're played in.

This clasico, played outside Colombia, once again showed the pull that both Nacional and America have among the fans who follow Colombian soccer from the United States. And it left behind an image that will surely show up in highlight reels for a while: Murillo's backheel finish, right after Quinones raced to the byline to set him up.