Lionel Messi and Arjen Robben are battling with a Japanese teenager and a Swedish second--division player for FIFA’s goal of the year award.
The shortlist of 10 announced on Tuesday also included an astonishing effort from the Northern Ireland Premier League and two goals from the World Cup.
Kumi Yokoyama made the list when she dribbled through five opponents before slotting into the bottom corner during Japan’s semi-final against North Korea at the under-17 World Cup.
Photo: EPA
Linus Hallenius, from Swedish second division Hammarby, flicked the ball past an opponent and volleyed into the far corner from a near-impossible angle to earn his place.
Matthew Burrows’ goal for Glentoran against Portadown was a back-heeled volley from just inside the penalty area.
The two World Cup goals selected were Siphiwe Tshabalala’s thumping drive for South Africa in the opening match against Mexico and Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s spectacular strike for the Netherlands in the semi-final against Uruguay.
Messi has produced a number of contenders in the last few months, but FIFA went for his La Liga goal for Barcelona against Valencia when he wriggled through the opposing defense before slipping the ball home.
The other contenders were Hamit Altintop’s long-range effort for Turkey against Kazakhstan, Arjen Robben for Bayern Munich against Schalke 04 and Arsenal’s Samir Nasri in a Champions League match against Porto.
“The final list has been drawn up using the following criteria: aesthetics; the importance of the match; the absence of luck or an opposition mistake as a factor making the goal possible; fair play; and the date, with only goals scored between Jan. 1 and Oct. 15 counting,” FIFA said.
Meanwhile, a missed goal at this year’s Asian Games in China, has many wondering if it is one of the worst failures of all time.
Qatari teenager Fahad Khalfan’s amazing blunder, when he managed to miss an open goal from one meter out, has become the reluctant star of the Web after his howler against Uzbekistan.
“What a Qatarstrophe”, screamed British tabloid the Sun.
“This has to go down as one of the worst misses in [soccer] history. Qatar’s Fahad Khalfan staked his claim to go down as one of [soccer’s] biggest blunderers with an appalling effort against Uzbekistan in the last 16 of the Asian Games,” the paper wrote.
To add insult to the 18-year-old’s injured pride, the newspaper gleefully replayed the video of the player’s moment of horror, which was compounded by the defending champions losing 1-0 in extra-time.
Khalfan had pounced when Uzbekistan goalkeeper Timur Juraev air-kicked an attempted clearance.
The Qatari striker then smartly dribbled the ball to the edge of the goal-line before incredibly stabbing his left-foot shot against the post, leaving his teammates stunned and the teenager completely bewildered.
“It’s a bad moment for him. He’s a young player and he’s got to forget it,” Khalfan’s teammate Mohammed Elneel said. “If he thinks about it then he can’t keep going in [soccer] or in his life. Every player makes mistakes. This is a big one, but that’s what happens.”
Even the Scottish Daily Record, whose diet of soccer news rarely extends beyond Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers, offered its verdict.
“Worst miss ever’ costs Qatar place in Asian Games quarter--finals,” its headline read.
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