Gabriel Pirani had one thing on his mind.
Down 1-0 at home against the New England Revolution, D.C. United's No. 10 came off the bench with mere minutes remaining to blast a thunderous equalizer into the top corner and snatch the 1-1 draw before passionately celebrating in front of his head coach, Troy Lesesne.
Pirani's stoppage-time goal and subsequent celebration earned him Energy Moment of the Matchday presented by Celsius honors for Matchday 16.
Such a momentous goal is the ideal fuel for the former Brazilian youth international following an up-and-down start to the season. After starting the first seven games of the year without scoring a goal, Pirani was relegated to a substitute in his last four appearances while battling a knee injury that kept him out for about a month.
Now, with his late thunderbolt, Pirani's back to proving why he believes he should be starting, likely triggering the emotional celebration in front of his manager.
"We needed a special play and Gabi does make special plays," Lesesne said post-match. "I was really happy to see him make one in that situation to get his goal campaign off and running in 2025. This is really important for him, but we needed that moment."
Following three draws in their last four matches, the Black-and-Red visit Eastern Conference powerhouse FC Cincinnati on Saturday night (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
