Lewis's Superb Free-Kick

 On This Day in 2006, the Left-Footed Specialist Curled Home the Leeds Opener in the Championship Playoff Semifinal

Eddie Lewis arrived at Leeds United in the summer of 2005. The former Preston North End winger brought a precise left foot and the experience of playing in the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals with the United States. His journey from the American youth system to becoming a pivotal figure in English football's Championship was marked by technical skill, versatility and an unwavering commitment to club and country. By spring 2006, Lewis found himself at the intersection of two crucial paths: Leeds United's desperate push for Premier League promotion and his imminent second World Cup appearance.

On May 2, 2006, just three days before Leeds would face Preston in the playoff semifinal first leg, Lewis received the news many American players dream about. U.S. manager Bruce Arena had named him to the 23-man roster for the upcoming World Cup in Germany, one of 12 returnees from the 2002 squad that had made a surprising run to the quarterfinals. Arena's selection recognized Lewis's evolution from attacking winger to versatile left-sided player, having begun transitioning to left back for the national team despite continuing to play primarily in midfield for Leeds.

The stakes could hardly have been higher when Leeds welcomed Preston to Elland Road on May 5. The atmosphere crackled with tension as 35,239 fans—Leeds' largest attendance since their relegation from the Premier League two years earlier—packed the historic ground after a 15-minute kickoff delay to accommodate the surging crowd. This playoff semifinal carried additional emotional weight for Lewis: facing the Preston club where he had previously plied his trade.

Preston entered the fixture as the form team, having won five of their last six regular-season matches, including a 2-0 victory over a heavily rotated Leeds side just five days earlier. Preston boss Billy Davies had playfully mocked Leeds manager Kevin Blackwell's suggestion that United had kept their cards close to their chest in that final regular-season encounter. "We're going to be very surprised when they bring in Hulse, who we don't know, Eddie Lewis, who we don't know, Kelly, who we don't know," Davies had quipped sarcastically in his pre-match comments.

The first half saw Leeds create the better chances, with Matthew Kilgallon heading a Lewis cross against the post. However, Preston struck first blood just three minutes after the restart with a moment of individual brilliance from the returning David Nugent. The England U21 forward, making his first start in nearly eight weeks after recovering from a broken metatarsal, slalomed through four Leeds defenders before stabbing a shot past goalkeeper Neil Sullivan—a goal one reporter described as something "Diego Maradona would have been proud to have claimed."

The home crowd grew increasingly restless with Leeds trailing and their Premier League dreams suddenly in jeopardy. The atmosphere at Elland Road, so often the club's greatest weapon, threatened to become a cauldron of anxiety. Lewis would produce his defining moment in this crucible of pressure.

With 16 minutes remaining and Leeds desperately seeking an equalizer, midfielder Liam Miller was fouled by Claude Davis about 22 yards from goal—a perfect distance for a left-footed specialist. Lewis stepped up to the free kick, eyeing the top corner with the precision and confidence that had earned him his international reputation. With one cultured swing of his left boot, he curled an unstoppable shot into the top corner past the helpless Carlo Nash in the Preston goal.

As the ball nestled in the net and Elland Road erupted, Lewis's muted celebration acknowledged his respect for his former club and the understanding that this was halftime in a two-legged tie. Graham Alexander's desperate attempt to head the ball off the line proved futile—Lewis's strike was too perfect, too precise to be denied.

"Lewis, the former Preston winger, may just have scored the most important goal of his Leeds career so far," wrote one journalist, capturing the potential significance of the moment. The free kick not only salvaged a 1-1 draw but shifted psychological momentum back to Leeds ahead of the return leg at Deepdale.

The dramatic equalizer was a turning point in Leeds' promotion campaign. Three days later at Deepdale, Leeds completed their comeback with a commanding 2-0 victory through goals from Rob Hulse and Frazer Richardson, securing a 3-1 aggregate win and a place in the playoff final. Lewis's free kick had been the catalyst for a remarkable turnaround that propelled Leeds to within one game of a Premier League return.

The Championship playoff final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on May 21 pitted Leeds against Watford, who had finished third in the regular season and dispatched Crystal Palace 3-0 on aggregate in their semifinal. Unfortunately for Lewis and Leeds, the dream of Premier League restoration would end in disappointment. Watford triumphed 3-0 through goals from American Jay DeMerit, an unfortunate Neil Sullivan own goal, and a Darius Henderson penalty, leaving Leeds to face another season in the second tier.

For Lewis, focus quickly shifted to international duty as he joined the U.S. national team's pre-World Cup training camp. On June 12, he started the Americans' opening match against the Czech Republic at left back. However, the disappointing 3-0 defeat cost him his place for the second group game—a hard-fought 1-1 draw with eventual champions Italy. Lewis returned to the starting lineup for the final group match against Ghana, reverting to his more natural left midfield position. Despite his inspired play, which nearly led to an equalizer when his cross to Brian McBride struck the post, the United States fell 2-1 and exited the tournament.

Lewis's story with Leeds and the U.S. national team represents a player who consistently rose to occasions that demanded technical skill and mental fortitude. His free kick against Preston is not a triumphant conclusion but a moment that embodied his career—technically flawless, perfectly timed and delivered precisely when his team needed him most. Though Leeds would ultimately fall short of Premier League promotion in the final, Lewis's left-footed strike at Elland Road remains emblematic of a player whose contributions transcended final outcomes, providing one of the pivotal moments in Leeds' memorable playoff campaign.