Hoffenheim's Takashi Usami Scores Lionel Messi-Like Solo Goal in Friendly

Nope, that's not Lionel Messi or Neymar. That's Takashi Usami, and over the weekend, he scored a goal normally reserved for those much more famous names.

The show starts at the 0:34 mark and ends about nine seconds later after a bit of ridiculous dribbling, sweet moves and a nasty top-corner finish. Enjoy. It's the Set Piece Video of the Day.

Once you've seen the goal, you might want some background material. Usami is a 20-year-old Japanese attacking midfielder. He's currently on loan from Gamba Osaka with Hoffenheim (Hey! That means he plays with United States internationals Fabian Johnson and Danny Williams.) in the German Bundesliga.

If he sounds somewhat familiar, you might recall that Usami, 20, featured for Japan at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Through seven matches, Hoffenheim sit 14th in the 18-team Bundesliga table, a whopping 14 points behind leaders Bayern Munich. Even so, the team has a few internationals, including Johnson and Williams.

On Friday, Hoffenheim held a friendly match against Darmstadt 98, a 3. Fußball-Liga club from the western part of Germany. The purpose of the match was to keep Hoffenheim's non-international players sharp during international break, but it turned into a chance for Usami to show off some of his skills.

Hoffenheim won the match 2-1, and Usami's brilliant goal was clearly the highlight from the day.

If you're looking for a quick view of the goal without all the other highlights, try this GIF file. You're welcome in advance.

Now, who else just developed a new interest in watching Hoffenheim this season?

[h/t Reddit Soccer via 101 Great Goals]

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