And we'd have won the league too, if it wasn't for those meddling billionaires - OTT [R]

Still prefer Maradona's jinking run from '86. One well-measured, audacious kick, compared to one man using excellent ball control to carry the ball upfield, beating one defender after another, before finishing beautifully.

Also, how much of the hype surrounding this is because he's known as one of the games most gifted players? I remember Trevor Sinclair scoring an overhead kick from outside the box for QPR (actually pipped Beckham's 50 yarder to GOTY, much to my chagrin). He was actually being marked and the GK was on his line. But like Rooney's against Citeh, I always feel like there's an element of luck with long range bicycle kicks.

I think Zlatan (somewhat understandably) gets a bit more benefit of the doubt that he put the ball exactly where he wanted it.

 

This is very true. I was talking to some friends the other day about that sinclair goal, and that if that was done by fat Ronaldo in the CL final or WC semi, it would be seen as one of the greatest goals ever. There are probably many unbelievable goals that get forgotten because of who scored them and the circumstances (lower league, pointless match) surrounding them.

 

The luck argument is odd because every goal involved luck, including Maradona's.

I'm obviously enamored because I saw this one in my lifetime, not Maradona's for instance. I applaud Maradona's skill but the same audacity went into Ibrahimovic's goal, maybe even more so. Great goals are also about creating from nothing and while both tick this box, the latter has an air of greater implausibility about it. What other players would have dared attempt that? Even if they did entertain, which players would have the technique to execute it? The audacity behind the goal is so incredible especially since this was his fourth. I am a big fan of goals that include great control and individual brilliance, but Zlatan's goal makes you believe in the magic of football again.

 

Don't get me wrong, it's a phenomenal goal and it summed up a legendary performance. The Maradona goal also came in my lifetime and it summed up his entire World Cup.

I'm merely debating it's merits as the best goal ever. It's certainly up there though.

 

lol that Zlatan goal wouldn't even make a top 5 of the last 20 years, if all we are judging is aesthetics. What about the backheel volley from the edge of the area in the lower leagues? Paulo Wanchope scored a goal, at Copa one time that involved, pace, strength, guile and desire that to me embodies centre forward play.

Hagi has scored a beaut or two and Berbatov, Ruud, Scholes and Zidane all have strikes that for me were harder. Zlatan's sure was pretty and it sure is fresh in our minds, but it isn't nearly the best of all time. Shit, you could probably find 10 goals scored by (former) Barca players in the last 20 years that are the equal of that strike.

EDIT: I'm also not including goals like Papiss Cisse's effort against Chelsea because that obviously involved the dark arts.

 

Rivaldo's bicycle. Ronaldinho's bicycle etc... The one thing we didn't judge was the magnitude of the game, it was a freaking friendly.

 

I think you said it, Maradona's goal summed up his world cup.

Zlatan's goal summed him up perfectly. The arrogance, the athleticism, the skill, and the sheer audacity. It symbolized why he's unique and served a reminder that while Messi and Ronaldo are around, there's a player around whose skill and technique is on that level WITHOUT question. It's just not seen consistently but it's highly evident and this was simply a reminder to those who haven't acknowledged him in this regard.

 

Ronnie's samba toe-poke was ludicrous. Also summed him up. Audacious, stupid, illogical and beautiful.

 

Disclaimer: The whole great(est) goal debate is about as pointless as me being in an astronaut suit. Thi is totally subjective even more than the greatest player debate (that stateement is also subjective i know - shoot me)

Having said that i have to diagree with johno here )hey this is the world wide internet we are all experts here Most goals do not tick all the boxes Maradona goal involved pure skill and control but for me no intelligence. great? yes. Rooney's overhead against City was not even the best goal in that game. and on and on

But Zlatan showed intelligence control skill power everything and get this zero luck! How many overhead kicks can you say did not involved an element of luck. Definitely on of this best for me and quite possibly in the top 5 over last twenety years (PS @ johno i dont think you meant that literally but more of a dismissal of the overall greatness of the goal in your view and i am responding in like manner - i didnt really write down the top 5 goals)

Over.

 

what samba toe poke? i googled it and i cant post on here what came up!!

 

I think he meant this one

 

Against Chelsea he did a dance and then toe-poked a beaut

 

couldnt be. i scored one like that last sunday when i was defending and i was facing my own goal and an attacker cut of my back pass to my GK and anotehr attacker was right behind me and i panicked trying to figure out how to get out of it and ended up twisting and turning (the samba) and then trying a rushed clearance to anywhere but ended up only toeing the ball and it curved beautifully past my GK. see i can do that jsut like Ronnie but i have never overhead kicked a goal against anyone in any direction.
try again.

 

The fact that Ibra scored against an English keeper should automatically take points off. They make it their mission in life to get beaten from range.

 

Matty Burrows shits all over Zlatan.

 

this is an excellent point!

 

lol that's the point. Ronnie meant it, there was no room, and he was dancing. I didn't think that was the greatest goal of all time, I was specifically referring to SirM saying that Ibra's goal summed him up perfectly by noting that other goals have summed other players up perfectly too.

But lets be real here, Ibra's goal better than Bergkamps? Henry's flick/volley? Zidane's CL final volley? Di Canio's? van Basten's? THAT run from Asprilla? He scored a bicycle while the keeper was off his line. It was well struck, but come on!

 

I personally think that Zlatan's is up there with the best for the quality and height of the connection and the audacity. However, I can't say it's the best for one reason, he was aiming at the entire empty goal (in fact probably the centre, and it happened to go in the corner), where as a goal like Van Basten's in the Euros, had the connection, audacity, and he was aiming for a specific part of the goal to beat the keeper from a tight angle.

 

I cannot believe how many people are discounting the fact that it is also the easiest way to hit a bicycle. It requires less than perfect timing and because the ball isn't going across him, a much easier target that is going almost straight up and down.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Rooney's citeh bicycleta but that was much harder than Zlatans. Anyone who has ever tried to learn how to do a bicycle should be able to attest to that.

 

Somewhere on earth, Amr Zaki is fuming at all the attention Zlatan is receiving.

 

hold on a second F-cky McF-ker, while I will aloow vince to discount the goal due to an english GK i cant let you do that cause the GK was off his line. The GK made his play, Zlatan saw it all before everyone esle did, put everything into the mixer and decided this is what he is going to to. And did it. In his mind that goal was scored the second Hart jumped. How can you not credit him for the genius of seeing it and knowing that anything else would take the chance away.

Do you discredit the Henry goal cause the defender was too tight/not tight enough? Or the Bergy goal casue the defender didnt push him to the ground before he got the ball. Or Ba goal due to Ambramovich deciding he was not going to invest in a stronger juju man than Ba did?

Or the English defense for not doing a De Jong on Maradona? No that is what the situation was and they dealt with what they had and came up with somethng magical (no reference to Ba here i promise)

Besides if we are going to venture down that road, Maradona's goal should be striken becasue it happened against England!

 

http://www.football365.com/mailbox/8252133/Why-Liverpool-Can-t-Be-Trusted-With-50m

some obscure ones mentioned there.

 

johno (can I just call you J cause feel we are boys and all)
that is the point. it is the fact that it is so simple that makes it complex. The complexity lies in the simplicity of the goal. All complex discussions begin with the simplest idea.....

Ok at this point i am messing with you, but no i dont think Zlatan's goal is the best ever. but it belongs in the same room though, closer to the door but the same room nonetheless. i suppose i think you are heavily discounting it which is what i disagree with (gasp, cowers to a corner).