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| Finally! (picture from Football365) |
You get goals of the week quite a lot, and even comical goals of the week too, but this is somewhere in between. These are the banal, disappointing goals that you see week-in, week-out but that don’t get the attention that they deserve. There’s probably a reason for that, but hey – you clicked the link – more fool you.
To
limit the catchment area (and to make my job a little easier) they will also be
goals of some importance, be it a winner, an equaliser, a goal that sets the
tone or a strike that gets the team back into the game momentarily, and is then
emphatically proved irrelevant. They will be goals that don’t fit in with the
exciting, pulsating entertainment mantra that football so often professes –
they will not be beautiful, but that is half the fun of the beautiful game*.
It’s
Argentinean striker Diego Milito who gets this week’s round-up off and running,
with a goal that can be described, if being generous, as an opportunistic
finish. After Inter Milan wasted plenty of early chances, the Champions League quarter-finals
appeared to be out of Claudio Ranieri’s side’s reach. But, with 15 minutes
left, Marseille failed to clear a corner, leaving Giampaolo Pazzini in plenty
of space four yards out. Some desperate defending blocked Pazzini’s path, only
for Milito to tuck home to give Inter hope.
The
Italian side went on to concede a fatal away goal and then score an irrelevant
penalty through Pazzini, but Milito’s goal was magnificently scrappy even if it
was a tidy finish.
James McArthur (Wigan) vs. West Brom
Another
side that wasted chances, then finally got a goal to give them great hope..
only to concede soon afterwards to bring them back down to earth with a thud. 20
shots all game, with only 6 target and only one scored – Wigan are going down
and it’s not hard to see why. The goal they got here came from midfielder James
McArthur, bundled in from two yards after great persistence from Victor Moses
inside the box.
With thanks to Jamie Smith for the tip.
Two
goals from the same game, here, as Leeds and West Ham battled for a point in
the Championship. Whites striker Luciano Becchio eventually nodded in after
Paul Connolly acrobatically headed against the bar. The Argentine almost took a
boot to the face for his troubles – making the goal all the more beautiful.
West
Ham signed centre-back Danny Collins on loan from Stoke last week and it was
his last-minute goal that earned the Hammers a point at Elland Road. The leap
was powerful and dominant as Collins threw himself at the ball, glancing it
beautifully in off his shoulder. You can’t see it all that well thanks to the
poor quality of the video but, rest assured: it’s awful.
David Estrada (Seattle Sounders FC) vs. Toronto FC
It
seems a shame to call this a crap goal due to the fantastic footwork of Alvaro
Fernandez in the build-up, but the goal still goes down as a scrappy strike. It’s
made all the more comical with a Toronto defender attempting to head the ball
while laying on the ground inside the six yard box, but David Estrada does
eventually finish to set Seattle on their way to a fine 3-1 victory.
A
special mention must go to the Striker Who Does Not Score even though it feels
like an incredibly low blow to urinate on this particular parade. But urinate I
will.
Torres’
first goal in 25 hours and 41 minutes was either a sneaky, clever finish; or a
soft bundling of a goal. As you’ve probably already worked out, I’m going for
the latter, as Torres manages to get the ball from under his feet and just finds
the bottom corner. It’s a sub-standard, trickling finish, but it’s a start,
Fernando. That’s taking nothing away from the Spaniard, though: a goal’s a
goal, hopefully his double against Leicester will inspire more.
With thanks to Martin Hush for the nod in the right direction.
There may, of course, be goals that I have not included on this most disappointing of lists and goals that I will not have seen. I make no apologies for this, as I am not omniscient. However, if you have any suggestions, stick them in the comments below or send them to me on Twitter (@Jake_Harrison92). If they’re good (bad) enough, I might add them to the poll as a late addition.
