Coy Craft kicked off his 2016 with possibly the best goal of his young career.
The FCD Homegrown played in his first professional match of the season on loan with the club's USL affiliate, OKC Energy FC, on Saturday night in a 2-2 draw with Saint Louis FC. Craft, who missed the entire Dallas preseason working his way back from an injury picked in camp with the U.S. U-20s in January, played 77 minutes in his debut. The 18-year-old left his mark on the match in the 60th minute, leveling the game late for OKC with an incredible left-footed strike.
"[It was] one of the longest, and it was with my weak foot, so I'd have to put it up there with one of the best goals I've ever scored. It was awesome," Craft told Energy FC TV after the match. "I was on the right and [Danni] Konig got the ball and he kind of just laid it off, and it was bouncing. I was thinking about trying to settle it and pass it, but I thought might as well just hit it into the wind and sometimes you just get a little lucky if you put it into the right spot."
Craft became the first FC Dallas player to suit up for Oklahoma City in the two clubs' first season as affiliates, and the crowd at Taft Stadium gave him a warm welcome.
"The crowd was awesome," Craft said. "I mean the fans and the atmosphere - they had our back the entire game. It was a unique experience and I felt at home."
OKC next travels to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC II on Sunday, April 17th.
