Top 5 World Cup Goals
July 2, 2006 10:52 AM   Subscribe

A collection of YouTube videos documenting the top 5 goals of the World Cup to this point. I mostly agree with the list; to me, it just doesn't get any better than Maxi Rodriguez's overtime goal vs. Mexico. Vintage World Cup excitement.
posted by charmston (49 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Yes, that was an appropriately awesome list.
posted by Mach3avelli at 11:18 AM on July 2, 2006


I don't much care for soccer, but when I saw that goal (on all the news programs, even local news) I have to say I was pretty impressed.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:18 AM on July 2, 2006


I'd rate Cambiasso's as number one -- a brilliant team effort. Joe Cole's should be number 3. The level of technique is so high but he makes it look relatively easy which is probably why it only gets the number 5 spot.
posted by i_cola at 11:29 AM on July 2, 2006


I was watching a commentator who pointed out that the percentage of goals from outside the penalty box was up a lot from the last world cup (up from 15 to 25? percent or something), but that overall scoring was down compared to past world cups. I wonder if that means these new soccer balls are more or less accurate.
posted by bobo123 at 11:30 AM on July 2, 2006


Wow, even the most exciting moments of the world cup are boring as hell.
posted by puke & cry at 11:33 AM on July 2, 2006 [1 favorite]


The commentators during the Lahm/Frings strikes are far better than any of the goals themselves, and totally restore my faith in football. GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL! I wish the BBC's team were even a thousandth as exciting.

Zidane's goal against Spain is probably is in 6th place, just off the list.
posted by nylon at 11:35 AM on July 2, 2006


Wow, even the most exciting moments of the world cup are boring as hell.
posted by puke & cry at 11:33 AM PST on July 2 [+fave] [!]


Its the buildup and the tension that makes these exciting. Watching goal highlights without that context is like watching a porn movie of nothing but the 30 seconds of orgasm clipped from hundreds of movies. Its a little more exciting for us because we saw the games (the whole movie)

Anyways, I dont know why I bother. I should say if you find people's love of futbol unfathomable, I find equally unfathomable the desire to comment in world cup threads by people who dont like or understand it. It'll be over in a week. Relax.
posted by vacapinta at 11:43 AM on July 2, 2006 [1 favorite]


puke & cry: Yeah. I often dismiss things I don't understand as boring. I find it a far more intelligent approach than actually knowing what I'm talking about.
posted by i_cola at 11:44 AM on July 2, 2006


My favorite goal isn't even on the list -- Tevez' goal against S&M. He dekes two backs and then bends it around the charging keeper. For all the love of passing, that was a nice piece of individual effort. But then, I'm an American, and it was a run that looked like an agile American football running back weaving through a defense.

But yeah, Maxi Rodriguez' thunderbolt was something else. I was watching the game live and literally "blinked and missed the goal."
posted by dw at 11:52 AM on July 2, 2006


In ten years, when we're watching net video in high definition, this will be more interesting. Right now it's hard to tell whether the white dot is the ball or one of the players.
posted by letitrain at 11:55 AM on July 2, 2006


Soccer doesn't hold a candle to feline weightlifting.
posted by ZachsMind at 11:55 AM on July 2, 2006


My favorite goal isn't even on the list -- Tevez' goal against S&M.

Yeah, that was right up there.

/still in mourning for the albiceleste
posted by languagehat at 12:16 PM on July 2, 2006


"Take a bow, Argentina! This is brilliant."

No shit. I was so sorry to see them go.
posted by CunningLinguist at 12:18 PM on July 2, 2006


Allez la France!
posted by rollbiz at 1:08 PM on July 2, 2006


In a perfect world, Argentina and Germany wouldn't have met until the final, or at least the semis. Although I'm looking forward to seeing how France play on, now they seem to have finally found their form. The perfect precision of Zidane's free-kick to find Henry yesterday would be on my list of goals of the tournament.
posted by normy at 1:14 PM on July 2, 2006


Its the buildup and the tension that makes these exciting. Watching goal highlights without that context is like watching a porn movie of nothing but the 30 seconds of orgasm clipped from hundreds of movies. Its a little more exciting for us because we saw the games (the whole movie)

I'm not a soccer fan but that was a good analogy.
posted by chef_boyardee at 1:19 PM on July 2, 2006


I second i_cola's opinion: the Argentina v. Serbia & Montenegro (Cambiasso) team effort was everything I love about soccer.
posted by NationalKato at 1:40 PM on July 2, 2006


I'm not a porn fan, but that was a great analogy.

Also: your favorite sport sucks.
posted by joe lisboa at 1:45 PM on July 2, 2006


I haven't been interested in sports in a long time, but I still was able to appreciate the goals. I think if I had cable there would be a good chance I could get wrapped up in something like this for a period of time. Maybe when the next one rolls around.
posted by SteveFlamingo at 2:04 PM on July 2, 2006


That Cambiasso goal was so pretty because of all the teamwork of Argentina. It truly shows the beauty of the game.

My favorite moment of the match was that save A Cole made against Ecuador. Miss the header and falling back clear the ball from the goal. I almost jumped out of my skin at that.

(on preview, yeah what they said)
posted by subaruwrx at 2:10 PM on July 2, 2006


*edit
Terry v T&T in 46th minute
posted by subaruwrx at 2:18 PM on July 2, 2006


Cambiasso #1 I think.

And what a pleasure to hear the British announcer, rather than the know-nothing, Al Michaels-cloned motormouths we have to put up with on ABC and ESPN.
posted by wfc123 at 2:54 PM on July 2, 2006


subaruwrx, did you see the comments on that England v T&T video? Priceless:

What eng is really famous 4 is VERY FAT,UGLY PPL who smell,POOR HYGEINE,d WORST TEETH IN THE WORLD,WHITE TRASH, UNEDUCATED,(LET EVERYONE SPEAK ENGLISH, YET THEY CANT SPELL, WRITE.CLASSIC EXAMPLES-my one,await for)THESE PEOPLE ARE THE WORST.

Written by an apparently 29 year old Brit. Heh.
posted by nylon at 2:59 PM on July 2, 2006


The post probably should have specified whether it was the top 5 so far of all time, or so far of 2006. Especially when saying "vintage".

Also, watching your favorite sport sucks, compared to playing your favorite sport. But then, I don't understand (for example) what was so brilliant about the goal in the Argentina vs. S-M match (and the commentators were of no assistance) compared to any other goal. It would help if I understood Association Football. I still don't see the sense in the Offside Law (not rule, but LAW. Soccer is serious business.). Rarity of goals increases the value, as in economics? I mean, it's a totally subjective, qualitative thing, right?

And yeah, the video quality on many of these makes me wanna cry.
posted by Eideteker at 3:01 PM on July 2, 2006


I agree that that save by England was the most incredible moment.

"I wonder if that means these new soccer balls are more or less accurate."

Yea I remember hearing the new balls were more accurate and allowed more pace. I know some goalies were complaining about them before the world cup. Looks like they may have had a point. All the crazy officiating is certainly going to take over all of the controversy pie after the cup is over though.
posted by Hypharse at 3:02 PM on July 2, 2006


Okay if we're gonna turn this into YouToobFilter, the least you guys can do is show videos of people blowing things up or doing cringeworthy things to their neighbors pets or pseudo goth chicks with holes in their tongue talking about how lame people are for making fun of them. People dancing to music you can barely tolerate. Long forgotten commercials and educational films about farming. Drunken improvized dramadies involving role playing ("fireball! fireball!"). Music videos consisting of copyrighted material horrendously edited as if by a blender.

You know. Good stuff.
posted by ZachsMind at 3:07 PM on July 2, 2006


Nylon, thats why I love the internet.
posted by subaruwrx at 3:27 PM on July 2, 2006


Man, the YouTube compression is unkind to sports video.
posted by Nelson at 3:27 PM on July 2, 2006


Someone should make a top five saves list.
posted by Mach3avelli at 3:29 PM on July 2, 2006


Actually, also from that Englannd v T&T link is my LEAST favorite moment of the WC 2006. Crouch with that falling down half kicking move.

I had to throw my TV when I saw that. Ugh.
posted by subaruwrx at 3:29 PM on July 2, 2006


Oh, and in case you missed it, here's Wayne Rooney stomping someone in the nuts to get a red card. If you head over to the BBC you can read a contorted explanation of how it's not really his fault that he stomped the guy in the nuts, and didn't deserve the red card.
posted by Nelson at 3:31 PM on July 2, 2006


Has there ever been a soccer-related thread on an internet message board that doesn't get polluted by idiot Americans?

Hard to believe Cambiasso's wasn't number 1, but the S&M defending for thta goal was pretty poor.
posted by salmacis at 4:57 PM on July 2, 2006


another vote for Cambiasso as no. 1 so far
posted by matteo at 5:16 PM on July 2, 2006


bobo123 writes "I wonder if that means these new soccer balls are more or less accurate."

Perhaps it's just me, but I think the new design gives the ball a lot more rise, which has resulted in more players than usual overshooting the goal from close range.
posted by clevershark at 5:35 PM on July 2, 2006


Oh, and in case you missed it, here's Wayne Rooney stomping someone in the nuts to get a red card. If you head over to the BBC you can read a contorted explanation of how it's not really his fault that he stomped the guy in the nuts, and didn't deserve the red card

That's not what he got the red card for. He was carded for pushing Portgual's Ronaldo back away from the stomped on player, and/or what he said to Ronaldo within hearing range of the ref. The stomp probably would have been ruled accidental otherwise.
posted by Zinger at 6:08 PM on July 2, 2006


Perhaps it's just me, but I think the new design gives the ball a lot more rise, which has resulted in more players than usual overshooting the goal from close range.

I haven't noticed that, but I have noticed that the ball isn't bending the way a normal ball does. It's a lot tighter and bending a little later than a normal ball. A couple of players apparently figured it out, and they're producing these shots that look like sliders in baseball, with this hard bend right at the end. I've also seen balls meant to go in that bend away at the last second.

On the whole, though, scoring is down. 2.52 goals a match in 2002, 2.3 in 2006.
posted by dw at 6:16 PM on July 2, 2006


Personally, I dislike soccer no more or less then any other sport, but living in Toronto through the World Cup has been fucking hell.

Every team inevitably has some major representation of its nationality in some part of downtown Toronto, and these people feel the need to go racing up and down every major street after every bloody game they win.

I hate working on Queen street as it is, but god damnit yesterday when I'm *assuming* Portugal won something I couldn't hear myself think for three goddamn hours.

Fuck the World Cup. And f...

*head explodes*
posted by Alex404 at 6:52 PM on July 2, 2006


Alex404 writes "I hate working on Queen street as it is, but god damnit yesterday when I'm *assuming* Portugal won something I couldn't hear myself think for three goddamn hours."

Not to worry, the Portuguese might not have anything to cheer about after Tuesday's match ;-)
posted by clevershark at 7:01 PM on July 2, 2006


Zinger-

According to the BBC

"There was confusion over whether Rooney was dismissed for the foul or for the subsequent push on Cristiano Ronaldo.

But England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed Rooney was given his marching orders for the alleged stamp."
posted by achilles_hunt at 8:25 PM on July 2, 2006


i agree with a large number of people here, cambiasso's goal vs. serbia and montenegro was beautiful. truly an amazing team effort.
posted by alon at 10:20 PM on July 2, 2006


these 5 were also the only goals scored
posted by Satapher at 10:59 PM on July 2, 2006


My favourite goals of the World Cup: the two England scored against T&T. We were on a North Sea Ferry in Hull, waiting to set sail to Zeebrugge. The game was on the TV in the bar, it was still 0-0 and there were about 200 people trying to watch it with more arriving all the time. Suddenly the TV cut to the ship's safety announcement that describes where lifeboats and routes of escape, etc are. When it came back to the game it was 2-0 to England.

It was hard to tell but I think I was the only one who laughed.
posted by vbfg at 2:07 AM on July 3, 2006 [1 favorite]


What about John Terry's save for England (v. Sweden)? Awesome -the goalkeeper Robinson was otherwise occupied - he'd just made a save but the rebound had just been kicked back in - the ball was midair well over the line, and Terry did a beautiful jujitsu move, hooked a toe on it and sent it back over his head.
I think my favourite proper goal happpened when the Ukraine-Switz. game went to penalties. This Ukrainian- who looked just like Brent Sopel from the Vancouver Canucks, mega-non-ironic mullet and all- somehow completely fooled the Swiss goalkeeper into a full dive to the left, and then just gently, ever so slowly lobbed it up into the opposite corner. Pure class, I loved it.
Also Beckham's free kick against Ecuador. Majestic.
posted by Flashman at 10:24 AM on July 3, 2006


Yes, yes, Flashman -- that midair over-the-head kick! I was astounded by this kind of acrobatic feat even more than actual goals. For instance, someone should make a collection of the best goalie saves -- wow. I can't even remember who it was, but one of the goalies was four feet off the ground - parallel to the ground going sideways - catching the ball midair. Powerful stuff.
posted by Surfurrus at 11:24 AM on July 3, 2006


history of world cup balls
posted by huckhound at 4:49 PM on July 3, 2006


Flashman, is this the John Terry save you meant? Starts at about 00:15, vs Trinidad and Tobago.
posted by Nelson at 6:48 PM on July 3, 2006


Ball control.
posted by homunculus at 8:07 PM on July 3, 2006


klose heads in the equaliser
posted by k7lim at 11:21 PM on July 3, 2006


Bruno has been avenged!
posted by homunculus at 2:47 PM on July 4, 2006


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