After another calendar year of football, there have been some fantastic goals and LiberoFootball is back to look back on some of the best:
Martin Palermo – Best Header (04/10/09)
Before this goal, in a 3-2 win against Velez Sarsfield, Martin Palermo was most famous for missing a trio of penalties in a 1999 Copa America first round tie against Columbia in a 3-0 loss. He never wore the Argentina shirt until a call-up this year by a desperate Diego Maradona, where his last-gasp winner against Peru gave their faltering campaign a much needed boost.
Velez Sarsfield goalkeeper German Montoya came out of his box to clear the ball, which sailed harmlessly, at head height, towards the centre circle, where Palermo was standing, 38.9 metres from goal. The rest is history. The veteran striker said afterwards, “It always happens to me. When I look for similar stories of other players there aren’t any. Things happen to me that I can’t explain”.
Yet again, England is being placed as strong contenders for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. All after two giants of world football were dispatched in the Ukraine and Slovakia. Patrick Barclay, now of The Times, has claimed only Spain present a viable threat to England’s quest for global supremacy.
To return from Wembley late on Wednesday night, turn on the television and find Argentina being mangled by Bolivia was to be reminded of just how close England are to world supremacy.
This idea is flawed, with the closest contenders all masters of possession football – a style which England undoubtedly struggle against. Brazil, Argentina, Spain all play a ‘tiki-taka’ or ‘pass and move’ game, and even Lippi’s Italy can play fluid counter-attacking that can expose the holes in a static England. The Germans always perform on the big stage, while a number of other sides are also capable of defeating England in a one-off game and vice-versa. Holland, Russia, Turkey are also strong contenders and it would be logical to place England below that bracket currently, given the failure to qualify for Euro 2008 and the inability to play against sides who can starve England of the ball.
Real Madrid have a championship-winning attack and a relegation-suffering defence. Barcelona seem to have excellent quality in both departments. The results of both sides this weekend only strove to emphasise this idea. Barcelona thrashed real Valladolid 6-0, while Real Madrid laboured to a 4-3 success in a whirlwind of a game against Malaga. The stunning parallel between both games was that strikers Samuel Eto’o and Gonzalo Higuain both scored 4 goals.
Real Madrid 4 Malaga 3
The latter was a source of ridicule for a small section of the Bernabeu crowd for his inability to hit the target regularly (and that doesn’t been scoring, but actually not skying his shots over the crossbar). Yet over the last few seasons, the Argentinean has improved his accuracy and his impact on the team. Scoring the title-winning goal last summer for Madrid to win their 31st title has been the catalyst Higuain has needed. When Real Madrid signed Fernando Gago and the River Plate youth product, many assumed that it was the former Boca Juniors man, who was the better signing. These pundits claimed Gago would replicate the legacy of Fernando Redondo. Instead, it has been Higuain, who has taken on the mantle of rescuer.
This is a new feature on Liberofootball.com, looking at all the latest talent cropping up in world football at the moment. Here are a number of prodigous talents, ranging from powerful defenders to lightening-quick wingers:
Mario Balotelli – Inter Milan (ST)
The young striker made such an impression in his debut season at the San Siro, that he began taking all the set pieces. Under Roberto Mancini’s tutelage, the black Italian scored a number of key goals in the Coppa Italia, including a brace away to Juventus. His height, pace and strength, combined with exquisite technique has made him a feared opponent for any side. Of Ghanaian heritage, he has committed to his adopted Italy, with the Azzurri desperate to recruit ‘Super Mario’ to their cause. Now with Jose Mourinho, Balotelli is having to play the waiting game.
Many have claimed the Champions League is losing the ethos of attacking football or even questioning whether it was ever present in the first place, with sides very concerned over conceding an away goal. Yet teams don’t need to worry about this in the Group Stage and it showed on Tuesday night. The games were played in a similar spirit to that of Euro 2008.
Enter the top ten defeats of all time. Naturally many matches are remembered for incidents occurring of and on the pitch, perhaps with violent clashes, technical master-classes and shifts in power concerning who rules the footballing world.
No.10 France (4) 3-3 (5) West Germany 1982 World Cup Semi- Final
An epic football match marred by Harold Schumacher’s tendency to rush out to take out man or ball, in a mindset where the end justifies the means, as it did for the Germans. The match was level between the two sides with Littbarski rifling in a shot and a Platini penalty to equalise. Then Schumacher took out substitute Battiston (whose attempted shot went just wide), knocking him unconscious and leaving him with two less teeth. Later when Platini went for a header, when Schumacher came to claim the ball; Platini was left clutching his shoulder. Tresor scored with a hooked finish for France, followed by a thunderbolt from Giresse, Rummenigge pulled one back, before Fischer sent the match to penalties – a first in the World Cup. Schumacher made the headlines, by moving early off his line (a ploy not noticed by the officials) and saving twice from Six and then Bossis. The great French team of Platini and Tigana could not progress ‘because the officials did not do their job’ as the BBC commentator put it.
No.9 Real 0 -5 Barcelona 1973 Primera Division
After being voted out of the captaincy at Ajax, Cruyff left for a club that too was valued on playing beautiful football. In this match he crossed superbly twice to result in goals, and scored a gorgeous goal. Receiving the ball in the edge of the area from the left he burst forward to the left past the despairing lunge of aReal defender, running towards another defender, he quickly shifted the ball onto his right then again onto his left, always shielding the ball from the defender. To top off a superb performance, he finished with aplomb, blasting the ball through the keeper’s legs. To this day Cruyff and his Barcelona team-mates hold the record for Real’s heaviest defeat in the Bernabeu in an El Clasico, an astonishing achievement.
No.8 Arsenal 4-5 Man Utd 1958 Old Division One
The Busby babes came to North London, with a brand of exciting attacking, youthful football. They raced up a 0-3 lead in the first half, and the match seemed to be as good as over. Yet in the space of three minutes The Gunners came racing back and clawed back to a 3-3 score-line. The reputation of the Manchester United side came through, showing mental strength to score twice through the devastating Denis Viollet and Tommy Taylor to an unreachable 3-5 lead. Yet in the dying minutes The Gunners pulled a goal back, leaving a tense finish in which Vic Groves almost equalised. A few days later, the Red Devils flew out to Belgrade to meet Red Star in the European Cup. After a victory, their plane stopped to refuel in Munich. Therefore the game at Arsenal’s historical Highbury was to be the last arena where the famous ‘Busby Babes’ strutted their stuff in England.
No.7 England 3-6 Hungary 1953 International Friendly
The first defeat at Wembley by a team outside of the British Isles broke an undefeated streak since 1901 against such teams. Finally showed how different styles had evolved in contrast to the stereotypical gung-ho British football and it was no fluke. The Hungarians played a pass and move style, with a strike-force of ‘that fat little chap’ (The England player who referred to the Hungarian legend would later live to regret his words) Ferenc Puskas and Nandor Hidegkuti, who played in a revolutionary half-striker role, ghosting between the lines of midfield and attack, impossible to pick up. ‘The Mighty Magyars’ were seen to many as the influence to Rinus Michel’s ‘Total Football’ concept with their fluid formation and interchange of positions. The return game in 1954 was even more one-sided with Hungary annihilating England 7-1.
No.6 Real 11-4 Barcelona 1943 Kings Cup Semi Final
The words Generalissimo or Franco will crop up in remembrance of this semi-final. 3-0 up from the first leg, the Catalans were favourites to meet Bilbao in the final. Yet before the start of the second leg, they were paid a visit by the director of state security, who emphasized the unpatriotic Catalans were only living in Spain on behalf of the generous Franco. Therefore they were forced to throw the match, and even with ten men at half time, it is believed that only such a reason would cause such a loss. The conspiracy theorists continue to look to this dressing room visit. Real still managed to lose the final to Bilbao, after all of their favourite dictator’s help against their arch-rivals.
Philippe Auclair recently claimed in an interview with Gooner Talk that UEFA president gives him ‘the mental equivalent of a nappy rash’. The music producer-turned-football journalist voiced an opinion as to what most think. The outspoken Frenchman he referred to has an altruistic view of the world’s biggest sport and has the power to make his vision come true. But are his ideals totally driven by this pure vision or is there a monetary reason behind the dream? Will he ‘kill’ football as he accuses others of doing so?
His idea of increasing the number of teams in the UEFA European Championships from 16 to 24 can only be described as baffling. Having witnessed one of the finest footballing spectacles in recent years, Platini decided to increase the number of sides in the competition. Most fans realise the World Cup lacks the quality of a smaller tournament, with mediocre sides qualifying for the 32 man finals. These teams adopt a defensive mentality and lower the quality of attacking football. Therefore why allow these sides an easier path to the biggest stage?
It would be more difficult to find a host which would support an even greater number of sides for a few weeks in the summer. If the idea is to rejuvenate poorer countries such as Poland and the Ukraine, it isn’t working. These sides formerly of the Soviet bloc are struggling to have the infrastructure in place for sixteen sides in time for 2012, so how could they do so for twenty four teams? Obviously, a larger number of sides mean more matches, and so more revenue from television and tickets. Not to mention the amount of advertising and business partners UEFA accumulates when the time of the main event arrives.
This money-motivated agenda continued with Platini announcing a new format for the second tier European club competition. The UEFA Cup is already bloated despite Platini’s assurances:
“The new format will give the UEFA Europa League a successful new impetus”
Most realise that this apparent urge to give more fans a taste of European club football is just a ploy to gather more money by the executives at UEFA. The recent Champions League final included Manchester United and Chelsea, whereas the UEFA Cup involved Glasgow Rangers and Zenit St. Petersburg. Which game do you think had the bigger draw?
UEFA can rebrand the tournament as many times as they like, but the fact remains the same. It will remain a second tier competition as long as the Champions League exists. After these business-based actions, Platini has no leg to stand on in criticising Arsene Wenger for a similar attitude. The long-serving Arsenal boss was attacked by his countryman who seemed to be on an agenda. The hypocritical UEFA president spoke of Wenger only wanting:
“To talk about football, he (Wenger) only cares about business. We must shut up with Wenger and everything. He is an extremely selfish person.”
How ironic considering his recent actions to make UEFA even wealthier. The Euro 1984 winner was a wonderful playmaker but as a politician he is fast losing his highly esteemed reputation.
Philippe Auclair recently claimed in an interview with Gooner Talk that UEFA president gives him ‘the mental equivalent of a nappy rash’. The music producer-turned-football journalist voiced an opinion as to what most think. The outspoken Frenchman he referred to has an altruistic view of the world’s biggest sport and has the power to make his vision come true. But are his ideals totally driven by this pure vision or is there a monetary reason behind the dream? Will he ‘kill’ football as he accuses others of doing so?