On MLSnet.com you can vote for the Major League soccer goal of the year. If I am correct, there are 10 choices you can vote for. One of them was the Etcheverry free kick goal that beat Thornton when DC played Chicago. Another choice is a goal that Santino Quaranta netted. Go Vote and Support DC!
Tino's goal was a thing of beauty..but if they have the Ekelund free kick goal up there..nothing is going to top that beauty.
I would vote for Marco's goal only because I had an awesome angle to see it. I was standing in the aisle between the Barra and the Screamers next to the GrillMaster. We were both leaning on the rail and saw that baby curl in like the big banana. SWEEEET
Voted for Tino but I think Ekelund's was probably the best. I do like that they have more than just three options this year. Dave
In all honesty, any soccer player worth their weight can kick a ball straight ahead for 50 yards.. It just so happened that it landed in the goal.. the opportunity to take that shot comes along once in a blue moon and to my recollection there have now been only 3 midfield goals in MLS history.. Albright, Etcheverry and someone else I can't put a finger on right now but it happened in the early years of the league I believe.. My vote will go to Quaranta for the sole purpose that he created and scored the goal all by himself from a greater distance and tougher angle than the brilliant Ekelund shot (which he got help with by the way)..
I remember a midfield goal by Alberto Naveda of the Revs, I think back in '96. Not the most impressive type of goals, but I get a kick out of it when some nitwit keeper (i.e. Meola) gets totally burned by a 60-yard lob.
Yeah, that's the third. While any soccer player can kick the ball 55-65 yards, the fact is Albright saw the opportunity and then executed it beautifully, with the ball only going through a space of a yard or 2 between Meola's head and the goal. Sure it was lucky, but in all honesty what beautiful goal isn't?
I agree. I was wondering if this was limited to the regular season. I woulda voted for that one too. As it is, it looks like MLS rigged it to split votes. Two United choices, three Twellman choices, lots of ways to divide votes. I'm guessing that the winner is Ruiz simply because of the diffusion of votes to other candidates/teams. So, we ought to pick a candidate to back and all vote for that one. I just thought of this, as I've already voted for Santino's goal, but do we have a consensus on which one to support? Oh yeah, and as they used to say in Chicago ... vote early and often. -Tron
That goal is not so much about the goal as what happened before the goal. Twellmann shows great first touch in receiving a long pass under pressure, but more importantly he passes immediately to a great first step that blows the defense away. The first touch and the first step where very nicely done and not so impressive by themselves but the fact that he combined from one to another so quickly and effectively with a defender a step away from him just shows his great instinct and coolness under pressure. For me, it's between this goal and Q1's that shows all the good things a striker should have.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say Q1's goal wasn't sweet, or that I'm not voting for it or anything.
Originally posted by RuiJorge2002 If the ball hit Meola in the head and then went in, now THAT would be a shoo-in for goal of the year I didn't know Fat Tony was kin to Jose Conseco
I don't agree it should come in the run of play (I think the Golazo Olimpico from the corner is one of the sweetest goals you'll see). But, I voted for Santino's goal.
Why? basically because there is no defensive pressure on the free kick and the player taking the kick gets to determine the timing and pace of the effort without having to adjust to defenders. It requires half the skills of a goal in the run of play. Not to say that there isn't skill involved, I admire a great free kick as much as the nest (or next) fan, and I realize how much skill and work go into perfecting free kicks... I just think they're a different animal and in my opinion, not quite so worthy. Kinda like a batting practice home run...the fences are just as far away, but the other factors aren't the same. Put me on an MLS field and I won't get within 40 yards of a goal, but I can (and have) hit a perfect free kick.
I guess, but first of all Albright's technically was during the run of play, and second of all as far as I'm concerned a goal is a goal and if you can put it in straight off a corner kick or something you shouldn't be any less eligible for goal of the year.
Just an opinion, and one I know others don't share. And I wouldn't exclude free kicks from voting, I just wouldn't vote for one.
Gotta agree here...I wanted to vote for Tino's because it was an awesome effort and a thing of beauty, but that Ekelund free kick was sweeeet. Albright's goal would be my 3rd choice. Placement (read luck) was exact on his goal. I would tend to agree with those who think free kicks shouldn't be included for the reasons given, but Ekelund's was special.