MAGIC MOMENT ... Peruvian player Vasquez - of Swedish team Gothenburg - has his left foot behind his right foot as he uses it to kick - and score! They don't call it the Beautiful Game for nothing.
By GRANT ROLLINGS
May 11, 2007
The Sun
FOOTBALL is buzzing with one question right now — has anyone ever netted a sweeter strike?
Fans of the Beautiful Game have been gasping in wonder at the cheeky crossed-kick effort by Peruvian Andres Vasquez.
It was the 19-year-old midfielder’s first league goal for Swedish side IFK Gothenburg and it is unlikely he will ever top it.
On Monday night he took the ball from an Orebro player, ran to the edge of the penalty area and, as the ball rolled, moved his left leg behind his right.
With the outside of his left boot he then chipped the ball sweetly into the top corner of the net.
The “crossed-kick” is known as a Rabona and Italian player Giovanni Roccotelli is credited with inventing it in the 1970s.
It has been demonstrated in England this season by Joe Cole and Cristiano Ronaldo.
But is it really the greatest goal ever? Here The Sun looks at 10 contenders.
WONDER GOAL ... David Beckham scores from inside his own half for Manchester United against Wimbledon in 1996. This was in the days before he was really famous
CARLOS ALBERTO, Brazil v Italy, 1970 World Cup: Tostao fooled three defenders, fed Gerson, who passed to Jairzinho, who clipped it to Pele, who put in Alberto, who rocketed the ball into the net.
DAVID BECKHAM, Manchester United v Wimbledon, Premiership, 1996: The goal that made Becks’ name. He saw Neil Sullivan off his line and, from inside his own half, he looped the ball over the Wimbledon keeper.
DIEGO MARADONA, Argentina v England, 1986 World Cup: Started his run 10 yards inside his own half and then dribbled past Glenn Hoddle, Peter Reid, Kenny Sansom, Terry Butcher and Terry Fenwick before he raced into the box, swerved to avoid Peter Shilton and slid the ball into the net.
LIONEL MESSI, Barcelona v Getafe, Spanish Cup, 2007: Scarily similar to Maradona’s goal. The 19-year-old, Argentina’s latest genius, picked up the ball in his own half, beat five Getafe players, ran into the box, rounded the keeper and knocked the ball in.
MICHAEL OWEN, England v Argentina, 1998 World Cup: The striker, then just 18, neatly controlled a pass in the centre circle, raced past the first Argentinian defender and turned a second on the edge of the box before finishing with an angled drive into the top corner of the net. Probably the best goal ever scored for England.
WORLD CUP CLASSIC ... Michael Owen's tremendous goal for England against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup
PELE, Brazil v Sweden, 1958 World Cup: Just 17, he out-muscled the Swedish defender in the centre of the penalty area to chest the ball down, flicked the ball up in the air over another defender then volleyed it low into the corner of the net.
RICKY VILLA, Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, FA Cup, 1981: It took a moment of mesmeric magic to break the deadlock in a Wembley replay which was poised at 2-2. Argentinian midfielder Villa weaved his way through three bemused City defenders before slipping the ball past goalkeeper Joe Corrigan.
GEORGE WEAH, AC Milan v Verona, Serie A, 1996: Collected the ball in his own box following a Verona corner and sprinted the length of the field. Despite five players trying to stop him, Weah hammered home from 18 yards.
ARCHIE GEMMILL, Scotland v Holland, 1978 World Cup: Gemmill skipped two tackles, pushed the ball through a defender’s legs and then lofted it over the advancing keeper.
PAOLO DI CANIO, West Ham United v Wimbledon, Premiership, 2000: Superb example of the bicycle kick. Catching a cross into the box mid-flight, he hit it with his right-foot into the far corner of the net from 15 yards. The fiery Italian admitted afterwards: “I have tried that lots of times in training but I always miss.”
thesun.co.uk
