Great goals in friendlies, should they be appreciated less?
What is the best "meaningless" goal?
- Thread starter duffer
- Start date
Yes, they should.
If you're only considering skill and aesthetics, there's an argument. But the occasion is a major factor too.
Pre season Pirlo.
Danielle De Rossi against us in the 7-1 game at OT always springs to mind for this, great strike!
Not a friendly but De Rossi's goal against us in the 7-1 massacre of Roma was sublime. Poor guy didn't even celebrate what was probably one of the best goals of his career
Zlatan's overhead kick goal vs England in a friendly
Ibrahimovic vs England
Roberto Carlos vs France
Two iconic goals in friendlies.
Roberto Carlos vs France
Two iconic goals in friendlies.
Martial strangely seems to have lost all his dribbling ability after scoring that solo goal against Fulham
Any goal that lead to City winning any trophy since 2008.
Hey, that Carlos goal was in a major international tournament, and England are still the reigning champions.
Ruud vs Juventus, mainly due to the pass from Seba.
This! Was the first one that insantly came to my mind. Although, I think the finish (chest and volley) was equal to the pass in making it a great goal.
The other, I can't remember the team but think it was a tour to the far east. Rooney chipping the GK. May just be the way I am remembering it (so not a great goal) but at least a very good goal.
^Found the goal. This is the best footage I can find of it.
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Nani lobbed the keeper from somewhere near the corner flag in his first pre-season. I remember there being a debate whether he meant it but it was already about the third time he'd tried it.
Ole also scored a cracking volley before 06/07 season.
Then there was Lingard with his Community Shield Messi run vs Leicester, which looks better now when I watch it back than I remember it being.
Against us I'm sure someone for an Italian side on a US tour scored from the half way line a few years back. Might have been against another English side.
I remember Benzema scoring a scorcher in a Euros or WC game some years ago, but the ref blew the whistle as he was hitting it so it ended up not counting. A great volley if I remember correctly. Can't look for it because I'm at work, but I remember it as being pretty good.
I was gonna suggest a goal from a third-place playoff in a World Cup, since that always feels like a pointless match. But the players who score memorable goals in them usually go on to win the golden boot, so they can't really be called meaningless.
For a fairly recent one, what about Antony in the 6-3?
For a fairly recent one, what about Antony in the 6-3?
Back when we had the best team in the world (Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez), cruised to a 3-0 lead against West Ham within about 20 minutes... And then Dean Ashton does this.
Does Schürrle vs. Brasil, 2014 count?
For some reason Di Marias goal for United against Leicester always stuck in my mind. Picks it up in his own half, dribbles past two players, does a 1-2 with Rooney, gets it back and chips it over the keeper from the 16 yard box. Proper Ronaldinho vibes but it was totally brushed over because of the Leicester comeback (and him being shite otherwise for United):
Also looking back, even as a non-United fan that Vardy pen was outrageous, shoulder checks into Rafael and then dives
Also looking back, even as a non-United fan that Vardy pen was outrageous, shoulder checks into Rafael and then dives
I saw this goal on Twitter about a month ago and at first I genuinely thought I was watching some sort of edited/doctored/AI generated goal.... as I had absolutely zero recollection of it. (which again, felt wrong for such a brilliant goal)
Hunterlaar’s goal for Schalke while 6-0 down comes to mind.
This was one I thought of immediately.
I may be wrong but I don't think he played much longer after that either, maybe he was just hyped up due to being English but for a time he seemed to be a great striker and destined to play for england etc.
Think Benteke also scored an overhead whilst on the losing side for Liverpool, overshadowed by Martials goal and the loss.
This was disallowed so definitely meaningless but I always remember how great a finish this was from Paul McGrath in the 1994 World Cup. Pity Frank Rijkaard stuck his head into his boot.
Great to have a thread to post this outrageously beautiful goal:
Not that strange, he had about 200 injuries after these years.
I'll go with the CR7 vs. Spain goal that Nani got disallowed. Absolutely absurd run and finish
Not a friendly but Hughes goal in the 5-1 defeat by City takes some beating, the one highlight of the day.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/pGUdtv3D5c4ZwM9f/?mibextid=UalRPS
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/pGUdtv3D5c4ZwM9f/?mibextid=UalRPS
In my memory he fumbled his way through purely by luck, but watching it back he beats 2 players with his first touch and then beats another 2 with skill, and then beats a 5th with pace. It's just the finish that's not as tidy.
I think it was downplayed because it was in his banter era of scoring goal of the season contenders every 2 weeks while somehow still being bad at everything else. That and no one gives a feck about the community shield.
There's a thread on best assists somewhere and this definitely belongs there too!
Also Benteke's bicycle kick for Liverpool at OT. Not a friendly but it was a brilliant goal that got no reaction at all when it happened. Then immediately got deleted into a non event a few mi utes after by Martial scoring on his debut and Martin Tyler having an orgasm over it.
This one? Great finish. Jesus was pre-HD video always this bad?
The Zlatan one was amazing and worth seeing again.
Also, the Roberto Carlos free kick still regularly does the rounds of insta. That will never grow old.
Always have this problem when looking for relatively obscure 90s and 00s footage as well. I've seen video from 120 fecking years ago that was better quality.
Always have this problem when looking for relatively obscure 90s and 00s footage as well. I've seen video from 120 fecking years ago that was better quality.
Yep same.I was in the stretty that day and remember a few people around me applauding that
Why do I get the feeling VAR would disallow it for dangerous play with the boot so high and near the face of the defender
