TELEGRAPH READERS' TOP 20 THUNDERBOLTS
The Telegraph 10 June 2009
As the soccer season finally comes to a close with England's game against Andorra, we've compiled a feast of football thunderbolts as selected by Telegraph online readers. Let us know if there are any goals missing that you would include.
1. Tony Yeboah for Leeds v Liverpool, August 1995: Yeboah unleashed a venomous volley that rose majestically before dipping at the last to send shockwaves through the Liverpool defence.
2. Steven Reid's goal for Blackburn v Wigan, May 2005: Sent the ball back in the direction from whence it came with a shot that threatened to break the back of Wigan's net.
3. Steven Gerrard for Liverpool v Middlesbrough, April 2005: Few superlatives would do Gerrard's volley justice. Kop that!
4. Thierry Henry for Arsenal against West Ham, August 2002: The Frenchman turned Christian Dailly with absolute ease and, in one seamless movement, chested the ball on before volleying into the top corner.
5. Tony Yeboah for Leeds v Wimbledon, September 1995: Yeboah turned the ball into a white projectile after weaving his way through Wimbledon's rearguard.
6. Wayne Rooney for Manchester United v Newcastle, April 2005: Probably the closest you'll come to the dictionary definition of a football thunderbolt. The ball crashed into the roof of the net at lightning speed.
7. Steven Gerrard for Liverpool v West Ham, FA Cup final May 2006: Minutes earlier Gerrard had been lying on his back with cramp, but after a desperate clearance by West Ham, Anfield's Roy of The Rovers rose to the occasion to catapult the ball into the net with a flourish of his right foot.
8. Wayne Rooney for Manchester United v Middlesbrough, January 2005: Fabulous 20-yard screamer, his second goal in this FA Cup encounter.
9. Jorg Albertz for Rangers v Celtic, January 1997: Thunderous free-kick that cannoned into the far corner as Albertz opted for undiluted power.
10. Bobby Charlton for England v Mexico, 1966 World Cup: In the days when players risked serious injury clobbering a heavyweight leather ball about the pitch, Charlton fired a phenomenal shot home from 30-yards with trademark precision and power.
11. Arie Haan for Holland v Italy, World Cup 1978: The Dutchman, dabbling momentarily in alchemy, transformed the ball into a bazooker.
12. Roberto Carlos for Brazil v France, Le Tournoi, 1997: The Brazilian with the famous 'tree-trunk' legs defied the laws of physics to put an implausible amount of swerve and spin on his shot. The ball appeared to be on a collision course with a photographer's head before bending back into the net.
13. Eric Cantona for Man Utd v Arsenal, September 1993: Cantona trapped the ball on his chest before beating David Seaman with a superlative strike that flew in off the crossbar.
14. Gazka Mendieta for Valencia v Barcelona: Former Middlesbrough player Gaizka Mendieta bewildered the Barcelona defence by despatching a corner kick with a sublime volley.
15. Clarence Seedorf for Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid: Most players would only contemplate scoring from 45 yards with a lob, so how the Dutchman managed to send a shot so straight and true into the top corner from THAT distance can only be known to him.
16. Patrick Berger for Liverpool v Tottenham, April 2000: One of our learned readers nominated Berger's strike against Leicester, but with a scarcity of video clips available for that effort, we've plumped for his spectacular shot on the turn against Spurs.
17. Zinedine Zidane's volley for Real Madrid in Champions League final at Hampden, 2002: Demonstrated superb technique to pluck the ball from the air and send it into the top corner.
18. Ronnie Radford goal for Hereford v Newcastle, February 1972: On a pitch so boggy that it makes the new Wembley look like a pristine carpet ready to be rolled out for royalty, Radford found his range with this piledriver.
19. Peter Lorimer for Leeds United v Crystal Palace, December 1971: His artistic attempt at a 'thunderbolt' left the Palace players staring goalwards in disbelief.
20: John Metgod for Nottingham Forest v West Ham, 1986: Almost took the goalkeeper's head off with this strike. Stunning.
CANT BELIVE TARNATS INT IN THERE!!
The Telegraph 10 June 2009
As the soccer season finally comes to a close with England's game against Andorra, we've compiled a feast of football thunderbolts as selected by Telegraph online readers. Let us know if there are any goals missing that you would include.
1. Tony Yeboah for Leeds v Liverpool, August 1995: Yeboah unleashed a venomous volley that rose majestically before dipping at the last to send shockwaves through the Liverpool defence.
2. Steven Reid's goal for Blackburn v Wigan, May 2005: Sent the ball back in the direction from whence it came with a shot that threatened to break the back of Wigan's net.
3. Steven Gerrard for Liverpool v Middlesbrough, April 2005: Few superlatives would do Gerrard's volley justice. Kop that!
4. Thierry Henry for Arsenal against West Ham, August 2002: The Frenchman turned Christian Dailly with absolute ease and, in one seamless movement, chested the ball on before volleying into the top corner.
5. Tony Yeboah for Leeds v Wimbledon, September 1995: Yeboah turned the ball into a white projectile after weaving his way through Wimbledon's rearguard.
6. Wayne Rooney for Manchester United v Newcastle, April 2005: Probably the closest you'll come to the dictionary definition of a football thunderbolt. The ball crashed into the roof of the net at lightning speed.
7. Steven Gerrard for Liverpool v West Ham, FA Cup final May 2006: Minutes earlier Gerrard had been lying on his back with cramp, but after a desperate clearance by West Ham, Anfield's Roy of The Rovers rose to the occasion to catapult the ball into the net with a flourish of his right foot.
8. Wayne Rooney for Manchester United v Middlesbrough, January 2005: Fabulous 20-yard screamer, his second goal in this FA Cup encounter.
9. Jorg Albertz for Rangers v Celtic, January 1997: Thunderous free-kick that cannoned into the far corner as Albertz opted for undiluted power.
10. Bobby Charlton for England v Mexico, 1966 World Cup: In the days when players risked serious injury clobbering a heavyweight leather ball about the pitch, Charlton fired a phenomenal shot home from 30-yards with trademark precision and power.
11. Arie Haan for Holland v Italy, World Cup 1978: The Dutchman, dabbling momentarily in alchemy, transformed the ball into a bazooker.
12. Roberto Carlos for Brazil v France, Le Tournoi, 1997: The Brazilian with the famous 'tree-trunk' legs defied the laws of physics to put an implausible amount of swerve and spin on his shot. The ball appeared to be on a collision course with a photographer's head before bending back into the net.
13. Eric Cantona for Man Utd v Arsenal, September 1993: Cantona trapped the ball on his chest before beating David Seaman with a superlative strike that flew in off the crossbar.
14. Gazka Mendieta for Valencia v Barcelona: Former Middlesbrough player Gaizka Mendieta bewildered the Barcelona defence by despatching a corner kick with a sublime volley.
15. Clarence Seedorf for Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid: Most players would only contemplate scoring from 45 yards with a lob, so how the Dutchman managed to send a shot so straight and true into the top corner from THAT distance can only be known to him.
16. Patrick Berger for Liverpool v Tottenham, April 2000: One of our learned readers nominated Berger's strike against Leicester, but with a scarcity of video clips available for that effort, we've plumped for his spectacular shot on the turn against Spurs.
17. Zinedine Zidane's volley for Real Madrid in Champions League final at Hampden, 2002: Demonstrated superb technique to pluck the ball from the air and send it into the top corner.
18. Ronnie Radford goal for Hereford v Newcastle, February 1972: On a pitch so boggy that it makes the new Wembley look like a pristine carpet ready to be rolled out for royalty, Radford found his range with this piledriver.
19. Peter Lorimer for Leeds United v Crystal Palace, December 1971: His artistic attempt at a 'thunderbolt' left the Palace players staring goalwards in disbelief.
20: John Metgod for Nottingham Forest v West Ham, 1986: Almost took the goalkeeper's head off with this strike. Stunning.
CANT BELIVE TARNATS INT IN THERE!!