I forgot all about that Zidane goal. :o Just an insane amount of skill!
And I agree with the Bergkamp goal. One of the best ever. I remember watching that game live and seeing him just rip out Argentina’s heart with that one.
Hagi is the nastiness. I remember watching this game live, and I pretty much wet myself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Aof-G7nv1I
This goal is maybe not as flashy, but absolute perfection in its placement with that bounce in front of the goal keeper.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J1mMaHbwNE
One of my favorite power shots done by Alan Thompson of Celtic
I’ll add this one by Roberto Carlos. Ridiculous.
[quote=“49erFan1, post:43, topic:23079”]I’ll add this one by Roberto Carlos. Ridiculous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZkRziiLq8I&feature=related[/quote]
:o
Here is a top 10 list for probably my favorite striker of all time.
[quote=“49erFan1, post:43, topic:23079”]I’ll add this one by Roberto Carlos. Ridiculous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZkRziiLq8I&feature=related[/quote]
Damn… his window to fit that ball through couldn’t have been more than a few mm wider than the ball and that’s not including the keep.
[quote=“49erFan1, post:43, topic:23079”]I’ll add this one by Roberto Carlos. Ridiculous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZkRziiLq8I&feature=related[/quote] So was he shooting it or trying to cross it far-post?
The more impressive goals to me are where the guys demonstrate perfect touch on the ball to set up the finish. Reminds me of a master pool player that is setting up the next 9 shots with every strike.
I can see not liking soccer. It’s like any sport. You have to like it enough to learn to pick up on the nuances that make a well-played match riveting. Golf and baseball are like that to me. I appreciate the skill, but find watching them excruciatingly boring.
One thing I don’t like about soccer is all of the diving, can totally ruin a game for me. They have to do more to clean that up, including more suspensions for diving showing up on replays and penalties for enhancing fouls (i.e. acting like you’ve just been shot when the other guy barely touches you). Barcelona would be my favorite club team by far due to their awesome style of play, if there weren’t so many ridiculous divers on that team (#1 Busquets, but also Pedro, Xavi, and Dani Alves are terrible). Messi rarely does it, so I enjoy watching him play, but otherwise I find myself rooting against them.
Agreed about the diving, it’s ridiculous. Makes it hard for me to watch a game on TV.
It exists at every level, too. I play in an Adult Rec League in Greensboro, by no means a high-skill league, and diving is seen way too often. Until refs are willing to call it and issue penalties, it will continue to exist. Maybe even just a nullification of the penalty for embellishing. It’s a foul if a guy takes your feet out from under you, there’s no need to writhe on the ground until you hear the whistle.
Hands down, best goal of last year. If you do not understand why this is the best goal you do not understand the sport.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAmkCUeK4Lc
Who says Yank’s cant play football
[quote=“9erken, post:46, topic:23079”][quote=“49erFan1, post:43, topic:23079”]I’ll add this one by Roberto Carlos. Ridiculous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZkRziiLq8I&feature=related[/quote] So was he shooting it or trying to cross it far-post?
The more impressive goals to me are where the guys demonstrate perfect touch on the ball to set up the finish. Reminds me of a master pool player that is setting up the next 9 shots with every strike.
I can see not liking soccer. It’s like any sport. You have to like it enough to learn to pick up on the nuances that make a well-played match riveting. Golf and baseball are like that to me. I appreciate the skill, but find watching them excruciatingly boring.
One thing I don’t like about soccer is all of the diving, can totally ruin a game for me. They have to do more to clean that up, including more suspensions for diving showing up on replays and penalties for enhancing fouls (i.e. acting like you’ve just been shot when the other guy barely touches you). Barcelona would be my favorite club team by far due to their awesome style of play, if there weren’t so many ridiculous divers on that team (#1 Busquets, but also Pedro, Xavi, and Dani Alves are terrible). Messi rarely does it, so I enjoy watching him play, but otherwise I find myself rooting against them.[/quote]
As a Barca fan it pains me to watch Busquets and Alves. I disagree about Pedro and Xavi but Busquets and Alves are undeniable divers. Busquets dive versus Inter was scandalous (to be fair Motta deserved it but scandalous nonetheless).
[quote=“Hooner49, post:48, topic:23079”]Hands down, best goal of last year. If you do not understand why this is the best goal you do not understand the sport.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAmkCUeK4Lc[/quote]
hahahahaha
[quote=“49erFan1, post:50, topic:23079”]As a Barca fan it pains me to watch Busquets and Alves. I disagree about Pedro and Xavi but Busquets and Alves are undeniable divers. Busquets dive versus Inter was scandalous (to be fair Motta deserved it but scandalous nonetheless).[/quote] It’s possible I’ve just seen some bad games for Xavi and Pedro, but they do seem to go down at the lightest touch when they get in a tough spot. It’s smart to do so, as almost every modern soccer player realizes. I saw that for the first time playing in high school when I had a guy pinned along a sideline so he couldn’t turn either way. He knew it, so he dramatically flung himself on the ground while I just stood there. Of course, he got the call.
I will say that when Barcelona has it going, such as first half of the first leg against Arsenal in the Champions League, it is a thing of beauty.
Agreed about the diving, it’s ridiculous. Makes it hard for me to watch a game on TV.
It exists at every level, too. I play in an Adult Rec League in Greensboro, by no means a high-skill league, and diving is seen way too often. Until refs are willing to call it and issue penalties, it will continue to exist. Maybe even just a nullification of the penalty for embellishing. It’s a foul if a guy takes your feet out from under you, there’s no need to writhe on the ground until you hear the whistle.[/quote]
Hell, even in intramural indoor soccer. In the last game I reffed (semifinals) a guy made a play on the ball as another guy was sprinting towards it. Dude (hereby known as diver) comes to a complete stop before jumping in an almost pole-vault flop over the other dudes knee. The most pathetic attempt at a dive I’ve ever seen. I had to fight the urge to laugh at him out loud.
I’m gonna use this thread to try and draw out responses to the US roster selections from yesterday.
Anyone with any thoughts? I thought Davies was a long shot, but I would have given him a spot in the 30 just to see his fitness level and for the emotional boost. I mean seriously, I’d take a one legged Davies over Robbie Findley.
And how bad does Kljestan need to suck before he stops getting call ups?
People say it’s b/c Bradley coached Kljesten at Chivas USA, but I’m guessing Kljesten has some kind of dirt on Bradley. It’s the only logical explanation.
Davies would’ve been nice, but apparently he wasn’t cleared to participate in training camp by his club team. That means they might’ve been unable to evaluate him for a while. Sucks though, because this is the team’s biggest need at the moment, a speedy forward to pair with Altidore / whatever big body they’re going to throw out. At this point I’m hoping they move Dempsey up top so he doesn’t hurt the D. I don’t know much about Gomez, is he an answer? Eddie Johnson scoring goals in the Greek leagues doesn’t get me excited.
The left back situation is frightening. I was hoping Castillo might fill the hole there. I’m terrified of what Bornstein can achieve in the pressure cooker of the World Cup. I’m thinking multiple own goals. Will Onyewu will be back to playing shape? If not, Bocanegra to the center with DeMerit and then Spector fills LB spot, and put Cherundolo at RB?
I’ve seen some people mention the depth of the US squad, but I think the team is surprisingly shallow when compared with the other teams. I’m envious of other squads being announced, who are often deciding between multiple good or even star players, while we grit our teeth over starters, let alone the last few inclusions. The one place we seem to have some depth is the midfield, but even that is a bit precarious. Donovan, Bradley, Dempsey, and maybe Edu, but who to put in behind them? Is Feilhaber supposed to be fit? I thought he was doubtful due to injury? Beasley is also surprising.
Did Friedal retire from international comp? I remember reading he was essentially keeping Guzan on the bench at Aston Villa.
This reads a bit harsh, but I think this team will need to overachieve to make it out of the group, even though it’s one of the weaker groups.
wtf ever happened to freddy adu? haha
[quote=“casstommy, post:36, topic:23079”]Ronaldinho with some spectacular commentary. "Like betamax, they don’t make them like him anymore!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYkdPxRwPVA[/quote]
Not to take anything away from the performance because a bicycle kick goal is extraordinary, but wasn’t he offsides? (sorry if this has been said already, I’ve read little of this thread.)
Nevermind. Watching it again, I believe he ran ahead of his defender after the ball had been kicked to him. Just flat out good play.
Thierry Henry to join the New York Red Bulls.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2972447/Henry-ready-for-MLS-move.html
I know this isnt the same Henry from his Arsenal days, but he is still a very good player and I think its kind of a coup for the MLS. Hopefully this starts a trend!
I think he should have at least made the provisional squad. He’s been playing pretty well with Aris, and I still think he’s one of the more dangerous Americans on the ball. I just don’t see taking Kljestan, who is absolute trash imo, over a guy like Adu.
[quote=“casstommy, post:58, topic:23079”]Thierry Henry to join the New York Red Bulls.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2972447/Henry-ready-for-MLS-move.html
I know this isnt the same Henry from his Arsenal days, but he is still a very good player and I think its kind of a coup for the MLS. Hopefully this starts a trend![/quote] Agreed, Henry may have lost a step, but he’s still relatively athletic and a great finisher. The times he’s played for Barcelona this season, he still looked pretty good. He just has impressive talent ahead of him (Ibrahimovic sat the bench by the end of the year too). I’m a little surprised he’s leaving Europe.
I do wonder if any Ireland fans will come out to boo him.