Cooper's opener and Abe's last minute curling wonderstrike have both been nominated for Goal of the Week. The funny thing is, I'd have put both Cooper's second and Oduro's goal above Cooper's first, but whatever. Abe's is currently leading the pack with 44% of the votes. Remember, vote early and vote often
Are you sure you're English? That sentence is very confusing. Personally, I think Oduro's goal was better than the Cooper goal they selected as possible GotW.
You children behave before I have to separate you. Next topic: No doubt Abe's was the best strike. He even "Bent it Like Beckham." Har-effin'-har!!!!!111oneoneonoene
Most people vote for those purely on the quality of the strike and don't worry about the significance. Gallardo's sweet full volley from a long cross won earlier in the year even though it was in the 80th minute of a 4-1 win.
There's no context when watching the goal clips online. If you haven't seen the game, while you do know the score, you don't know how either team or the players involved have been playing up to that point. As such, the only criteria for my vote is the visible build-up play and the strike itself. Abe's strike was glorious. Cronin didn't have a great game, but there was just nothing he could do about it, perfectly placed and so close to the corner of the net, I think for a few seconds after Abe himself thought he'd missed it. Cooper's second I'd have voted for too, for the disposession by Kenny and then the maturity shown by Dom to slide the ball back to Cooper instead of taking it on himself, as much as the shot. For me, Cooper's first, while it was the GWG, was a just a shot that would likely have been saved were it not for the slightest of touches off Dominguez' leg.
Whatev...it was a practice session goal. The LA defenders had long given up. No way Abe freakin' Thompson gets that kind of space and time at the top of the box in min 35 of a regular MLS game. He would have been closed down and not allowed to stop, set up his shot, and shoot with nothing in his way. It was a garbage time goal.....although very well taken. But I've seen just as nice shots taken in Inferno FC practice. Nice shot.....average goal.
Again, you're giving the goal context. I don't believe GotW is about context, it's just about the strike or the play leading up to the strike.
I agree that a goal shouldn't get extra merit, or be devalued, based on the score of the game, or even the time the goal was scored. Regardless, the LA defenders just let Abe camp out at the top of the box and didn't bother closing him down. Whether they do that in min 15 or min 92 it's still bad defending and the only reason he's able to score that kind of a goal. That's not context....that's a critique of the quality of the goal from a standalone perspective.
Any other team and I might agree with you, but this is the LA defense we're talking about. They're leakier than a post-iceberg Titanic.