Greatests by the Greatests

Fobal

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I always felt that there are certain goals that reflect, or better said paint, a very accurate picture of the level of talent of a player that not few times are not that praised (or even not that known) in comparison with other goals some of the greatest players have made.

I'm leaving out here slaloms, that for me are the most difficult ones to make and thinking more in terms of those goals that I felt always trully special, mostly of how daring those were to even think about ir and later how those were executed.
The improvisation involved and the absolute control/composure and technique to pull it off, where the unexpected element it's more in correlation to the technique/style use while taking advantage of a very tiny window opened (like the keeper being a little far from the goal, or slightly centered, or more prepare/focus for a more typical outcome) or not even that.

That's why I'm not thinking of Zizou's volley vs BL perfect execution, or thunderous bicycle kicks like Rooney's against City (or Ibra seizing the moment and taking advantage of a big mistake from Hart...bicycle kicks in general of course requiere lots of technique but are more in the let's try it and see what happens because there is no other way to hit this ball), or long distance thunders like CR's vs Porto and many on such style....all of them among the best ever goals by some of the best ever players, but I'm aiming for goals that you can see that even if timing/luck it's always involved, there is a very tiny window open to even think or try it and the player having the composure and technique to pull it off.

So I dunno if I've been clear, but here are 3 examples:



For me the perfect example of the ability and mind of Diego as a player, the moment and position, the confidence, the technique, the angle, the very little distance from Fillol to the post to try to take advantage, the precision and finesse knowing it's a goal if just goes there where it is intended, the unexpected nature of it with everything combine,...just out of this world.

And this other jewell from him:



On a lesser level, but still incredible in the daring, unexpected and perfect technique thess two, that also paint the non chalant effortless technique to not even try it, and to think of doing it in such fashion..



What other goals do you think deserve to be more praise and that somehow show a different level of technique to surprise even trying it?

PD after some posts: I've might make a mess with these choices that I found very specific and rare even with such genius players, but so far every goal here encapsulates the level of the player involve, so do not get that caught in the reasons why I've chose these specific goals from these two fellas
 
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A lot of my favourites that could be considered here aren't really from the all-timers (Van Basten vs USSR aside), but more personal favourites from various really talented nearly-men that didn't have all-time careers for whatever reason.

This is awesome, though. Kaiser.



imo this a better, more audacious CL final goal than Zidane's volley. Very small gap to place the lob into. it's obviously his signature goal, but I think it's underrated in general.



Brilliantly calm feint and first touch. makes look easy something most players would have fecked up.



If i remember correctly, this goal was at the first World Club Cup tournament, or whatever they were calling it at the time.



Rangers winger Davie Cooper goal against Celtic. Very Pele'ish quick thinking improvisation.



Hagi vs Colombia, though I guess this is arguably his most famous goal. He scored a lot of audacious low-percentage "small window of potential success" long range shots by spotting keepers slightly out of position. Great vision, but his determination to never pass up that sort of opportunity ended up arguably becoming as much of a flaw as a strength.



 
Dean Saunders, genius quick thinking and perfect execution.





Messi vs AC Milan. The little 1-2 and quick shift onto his left and a finish that nobody expected.



Del Piero, this goal just defies all logic and ball physics, lets it over his left side and he hits it on the outside of his right foot into the near top corner.


 
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Don't see that much in the Maradonna goals, woeful goalkeeping if anything. That Messi goal vs Milan is something else.
 
Had forgotten about how much of a heart burning sensation it was to find Messi on the edge of your team's box.
 
AjaxCunian said:
Don't see that much in the Maradonna goals, woeful goalkeeping if anything. That Messi goal vs Milan is something else.
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Oh man, I can't be more in the other extreme of your view
 
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Eddy_JukeZ said:


One of his most underrated goals.
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Yeah this one fits the criteria...to dink the goalkepper there it's quite unexpected, to do it with such ease, even more. Yet it's more of a heat in the moment reaction than his trully out of the blue Mexico one. Still Like I've edited my initial post, every goal here encapsulates the talent of the player involved, I don't want people to get caught on my initial choices and reasons behind those.

PD: He has a chip on the verge of the big area against Almeria? I dunno, he was young, that also was just pure improvisation and silly to even try it and pull it off, even more than this Arsenal goal. I rememeber Xavi watching him like "wtf man". I couldn't find it, even more casual than his Betis chip, that also belonmgs to this thread
 
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mustaine said:
In before Begkamp flick against Newcastle… amazing goal.
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Absolutely gem of a goal that captures Bergkamp essense at his finest.
 
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Joga Bonito said:


Just pure class.
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That's absolute class, but its more in the Zizou's volley "cathegory", it reminds me of that Maradona's goal vs Milan or that Messi one against Nigeria, all of these goals reflect the perfect technique and manage of timing and space all these players had, plus the perfect execution, in some of these cases the way to control it and later place it, in case of Zizou to just perfectly strike it...but all of those are what the play demands (to control it and define, or to just strike it first hand), of course thsoe end in goals because we were lucky that Baggio, Zizou and cia where on the receiving end of such situations to pull it out so gracefully, many players wouldn't even control it, or strike it and even less with such grace
 
Fobal said:
Oh man, I can't be more in the other extreme of your view
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I can imagine, flick current day Courtois in the goals and they are no goals I'd say. They were well placed and genuis shots, but lacked power. Any alert current goalkeeper would be able to stop them quite easily I'd say.

No goalkeeper stops that Messi goal, it's a cheat/glitch. Nothing you could do to stop that.
 
Fobal said:
That's why I'm not thinking of Zizou's volley vs BL perfect execution, or thunderous bicycle kicks like Rooney's against City (or Ibra seizing the moment and taking advantage of a big mistake from Hart...bicycle kicks in general of cpurse requiere lots of technique but are more in the let's try it and see what happens because there is no other way to hit this ball), or long distance thunders like CR's vs Porto and many on such style....all of them among the best ever goals by some of the best ever players, but I'm aiming for goals that you can see that even if timing/luck it's always involved, there is a very tiny window open to even think or try it and the player having the composure and technique to pull it off.
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I get the distinction you're making here. For me though the Ibra goal falls into your category though, because I think the vast majority of players would have brought the ball down and looked to lob it back into the net on their second touch.



 
AjaxCunian said:
I can imagine, flick current day Courtois in the goals and they are no goals I'd say.

No goalkeeper stops that Messi goal, it's a cheat/glitch. Nothing you could do to stop that.
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Nah man, Tibu it's magnificent and his positiong it's perhaps his best asset, but the thing with that goal it's that Diego dares to strike after just receiving a throw in, from that angle and distance. Any keeper in the world won't put himself beside the first post in such situation. Plus one thing it's to try it, but to do it with such power and exactly in the angle? it's just ridiculous. BTW that was a Clasico, a Boca vs River, not just a match to even try that kind of shyte and the goalkeeper it's one of the most athletic keepers ever, named Fillol (for reference think of Casillas, in terms of his ability under the posts and incredible saves) that could reach almost any ball, Diego just improvised sthg that was outrageous and the way he pull it out in such fashion even more.

PD: as a side note, Not a pun on Tibu, but he received a more guilty goal by Messi in that free kick in his Aleti days, that BTW also is a goal that kind of fits this criteria, but still it was a direct free kick, so Tibu should had be more aware, even if Messi executed perfectly and was clearly a very odd decision to strike it from there.
 
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Gio said:
I get the distinction you're making here. For me though the Ibra goal falls into your category though, because I think the vast majority of players would have brought the ball down and looked to lob it back into the net on their second touch.



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Yes indeed Ibra's goal it's for me in some grey area. The main thing why I kind of left it aside, it's mostly because Hart's mistake was so sill. Ibra absolutely dares sthg many won't even try, but at the same time more than anything capturing the moment and see what happens, it's not sthg. that calculated, it's more like the reaction of a Phenom, that dares to try it, than I'll improvise this defintion out of the blue. Yet I do also think that it's borderline what I've meant with my initial choices and I can easily get why it can be included.


The only thing missing in those extraordinary goals you've posted it's that they are dead ball situations, that's why I didn't include Diego's against Juve, some of Platini's best free kicks, that Messi free kick against Tibu I've mentioned above.
Anyway, it's not like it just have to be a goal under that very tiny and specific criteria that made me think even more of the genius of certain players, the goals posted here are all beyond great and also encapsulates the talent of the players involved. I was just ranting that some are even more special in terms of even thinking about trying certain stuff and more even pulling it out.
 
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Fobal said:
That's absolute class, but its more in the Zizou's volley "cathegory", it reminds me of that Maradona's goal vs Milan or that Messi one against Nigeria, all of these goals reflect the perfect technique and manage of timing and space all these players had, plus the perfect execution, in some of these cases the way to control it and later place it, in case of Zizou to just perfectly strike it...but all of those are what the play demands (to control it and define, or to just strike it first hand), of course thsoe end in goals because we were lucky that Baggio, Zizou and cia where on the receiving end of such situations to pull it out so gracefully, many players wouldn't even control it, or strike it and even less with such grace
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I don't see the Baggio one is that different from that Messi vs Arsenal one. When you see the Messi goal from a more distant angle you can see that the keeper got out so quickly he's only got the option to dink it over him, either as an attempt directly to goal or with a lighter touch for the follow up/tap-in. I think both belong, but the Baggio is actually cleaner and more difficult in execution and less obvious a choice...put loads of players in those same positions and I think more would try what Messi did (and mostly fail to pull it off) than would try the Baggio first touch round the keeper move
 
Demyanenko_square_jaw said:
I don't see the Baggio one is that different from that Messi vs Arsenal one. When you see the Messi goal from a more distant angle you can see that the keeper got out so quickly he's only got the option to dink it over him, either as an attempt directly to goal or with a lighter touch for the follow up/tap-in. I think both belong, but the Baggio is actually cleaner and more difficult in execution and less obvious a choice...put loads of players in those same positions and I think more would try what Messi did (and mostly fail to pull it off) than would try the Baggio first touch round the keeper move
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I absolutely get your point, but for a player of the calibre of Baggio and all this fellas it's all on his control, it was so majestic that actually opening slightly to the left to finish it with the goalkeeper rushing it's the most logical way to end it, not that many could have pull it.
In fact Messi's one against Arsenal also is in some grey area, because it fits the criteria of dinking the keeper insetad of "just" lob it, but at the same time it's more of an improvisation in the moment when the keepers come rushing than having "time" or better said not being in a very clear finishing situation and try sthg out of the blue like his goal against Mexico that requiered more finesse than power and let's see it goes in (I know Messi it's hard, because he is a fella that uses finesse and placement even in his long distance shots, but that Mexico play has way more conventional options than the one he chose).
All in all, in the opneing therad I was just chossing a couple that I felt were the cream among the cream in terms of encapsulating them. There will always be a grey areas when trying to make a criteria of mostly a subjective feeling. There are for isntance a couple of Messi's goals where he nutmeggs the defender and ends it with a chip to the keeper that also someone might think of them as some an out of the blue, but I feel them more in nonchalant goal like Berva's one posted here, for some reason (like the oens I've talked about) the Mexico one from him and Diego's one agaisnt River still feels even more outrageous in their conception.
 
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AjaxCunian said:
I can imagine, flick current day Courtois in the goals and they are no goals I'd say. They were well placed and genuis shots, but lacked power. Any alert current goalkeeper would be able to stop them quite easily I'd say.

No goalkeeper stops that Messi goal, it's a cheat/glitch. Nothing you could do to stop that.
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Isn't that sort of the point though? That he had been able to spot the slight lapse in positioning and concentration (or just slowness in getting fully back for the one against Verona) and also execute so well to take advantage of it, which most players wouldn't have even attempted if they had even seen. I didn't take the sort of goals being talked about as needing to be flawless strikes that no keeper would ever have a chance with.

these sort of goals were always quite rare, but they still happen occasionally even now, despite players being far more discouraged from trying a low-percentage success shot just because they've spotted a slight opening.
 
Demyanenko_square_jaw said:
Isn't that sort of the point though? That he had been able to spot the slight lapse in positioning and concentration (or just slowness in getting fully back for the one against Verona) and also execute so well to take advantage of it, which most players wouldn't have even attempted if they had even seen. I didn't take the sort of goals being talked about as needing to be flawless strikes that no keeper would ever have a chance with.

these sort of goals were always quite rare, but they still happen occasionally even now, despite players being far more discouraged from trying a low-percentage success shot just because they've spotted a slight opening.
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Exactly, plus there wasn't exactly a great opening either and the execution had to be inch perfect.
 
Platini's second goal in this comp its fantastic, the composure, the intelligence and reading of the situation and the daring of that improvisation plus the technique to pull it out....the third one also encapsultes one of his best nonchalant strikes


 
Vidyoyo said:
Not the greatest but that Chicharito goal where he kicked the ball against his own head was pure Chicharito
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Not even Baresi could anticipate a striker smacking the ball in his own face to score. On his debut even.
 
Gazza vs Dunga


Prosinecki vs Partizan


Seeler vs England
 
Really cool angle for Diego's goal in the first post

 
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