Top 5 World Cup goals!
Parents and Friends,
Soccer fans love talking about the great teams, players, games and goals in history.
And what makes a goal great, is it the skill, technique, timing, or athleticism?
Where do team efforts rank such as Belgium’s deadly counterattack versus Japan?
There’s a lot of criteria to consider and it’s open to debate.
Some goals are so good though that the quality is universally acknowledged by the soccer public.
Gareth Bale’s bicycle kick in the Champions League final against Liverpool goes straight into that category.
Tremendous athleticism, technique and creativity.
That goal will always be remembered because it was on the big stage in a match of huge importance.
Russia of course was a big stage too and while we didn’t quite see a strike of Bale’s quality we did see some fantastic finishes.
There were 169 goals scored and these are my top five.
Benjamin Pavard (France vs. Argentina)
France were only behind for 9 minutes at the World Cup.
And that was in this game when Gabriel Mercado’s deflected Lionel Messi’s shot into the net to put Argentina 2-1 up.
Les Bleus responded.
Blaise Matuidi played an inch-perfect pass behind Argentina’s defense for Lucas Hernandez.
The defender’s cross was only half cleared and Pavard caught the bell perfectly with a wonderful half-volley that flew past Argentina goalkeeper Franco Armani.
Pavard became the first defender to score at a World Cup for France since Lilian Thuram against Croatia in the 1998 semi-final.
Lionel Messi (Argentina vs. Nigeria)
La Albiceleste desperately needed to win this game to progress to the knockout stages.
Sevilla's Ever Banega played a delightful driven ball from halfway into space and behind the Nigeria defense.
Messi was on to it in a flash and what happened next is why most fans consider him the greatest player in the world.
At top speed the Barcelona forward took one touch with his left thigh to cushion the ball out of the air and down to his feet.
As the ball dropped he pushed the ball into space with his laces.
Before brilliantly smashing it with the inside of his right foot past Nigerian goalkeeper Francis Uzoho.
Ricardo Quaresma (Portugal vs. Iran)
Who needs a left foot when you've got a trivela (outside of the foot shot) in your locker!
Quaresma had the ball near the touchline and fed a pass into Adrien Silva’s feet.
Silva beautifully backheeled the ball back into Quaresma’s path.
The Besiktas winger took a touch forward before firing a magnificent trivela with his right foot into the top corner past helpless Iran goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand.
An absolute peach of a finish!
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal vs. Spain)
It seems a long time ago now but this Iberian clash was a classic.
A 6-goal thriller and one of the best World Cup matches of all time.
Twice Portugal had the lead only to be clawed back and then went behind to Nacho’s fine strike.
In the 87th minute Gerard Pique shoved Ronaldo to the floor just outside the box and the referee gave a free-kick.
It was the perfect position for Ronaldo.
About 25 yards out, slightly off center and made for the drama he provides.
The Juventus striker exquisitely curled the ball over the wall into the top corner to complete his hat-trick.
Toni Kroos (Germany vs. Sweden)
Germany were on the brink of elimination.
Not mathematically but having lost to Mexico in their first match a tie with Sweden was not going to be enough.
They needed to win and were given a free-kick in injury time.
Minutes earlier Kroos had chosen to cross the ball from a set piece in a very similar position.
This time he had other ideas!
Sweden had a two-man wall and Kroos combined with Marco Reus by touching the ball to the Dortmund forward to slightly change the angle.
Then whipped a superb swerving shot into the far corner across Swedish goalkeeper Robin Olsen.
Chat soon,
Patrick
Soccer1-1.com
P.S. a World Cup final report is posted here.
