Friday Top 10: FIFA Puskas Award 2010

For my first Friday top 10 I did last years FIFA Puskas Award, the award given to the player who is deemed to have scored the most beautiful goal of that calendar year. Though it's over a year since the award was presented this Top 10 is certainly the best of the three lists compiled so far in the history of the award featuring some truly amazing goals. I felt I had to show you, I know it may be "old" but some of the goals are truly amazing so kick back and enjoy the ten greatest goals of 2010...

NEYMAR vs Santo Andre 2010 Campeonato Paulista
He may have won the award for last year, but he was also nominated for 2010's, a truly amazing solo effort he picks the ball up on the left. Skips past two challenges on the edge of the box, cuts back onto his right foot to beat as third player before calmly slotting the ball into the net through the defenders legs. Not as good as the goal he scored last year, but still something only a truly special player could do...

Siphiwe TSHABALALA vs Mexico 2010 World Cup Group Stage
The first world cup goal on African soil was one to remember, carrying on the tradition of great opening World Cup goals. On the counter-attack, a lovely through-ball, perfectly weighted and Tshabalala just leathers it into the top corner, unstoppable. Certainly not the best goal, but in terms of importance you'd be hard pressed to find a goal more important for global football development...
  

We have lift off!!!!!!!!!!!

Hamit ALTINTOP vs Kazakhstan UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying Group A

It'd be pretty difficult to find a better first time volley than this. The corner is either way over hit, or the taker is trying to pick out Altintop, not that it matters. He hits the volley perfectly, sending it flying into the top corner. Peaches don't come riper than this goal. And the fact he does it from outside the penalty adds even more to and already special goal. 

Kazakhstan only lost 'cause Borat was injured...

Samir NASRI vs FC Porto 2009-2010 UEFA Champions League Last 16

One of the best attacking midfielder's in the world, Samir Nasri is one the best players to come out of France since Zidane and Henry. A great touch, combined with pace, power and a good eye for goal make up the now Man City play-maker, back when he played for Arsenal he scored this gem against Porto, weaving through 3 players before smashing it under goalie from the tightest of angles in off the post. Truly incredible.

Matty BURROWS vs Portadown 2010-2011 IFA Premiership

I can think of worse ways to score an injury time winner, the profile of usually invisible Northern Irish top division was raised by this corker of a goal. After 92 minutes of forgettable football, Burrows produced something that can only be described as unforgettable. A seemingly harmless dipping low ball into the box, is met by Burrows flying backheel which somehow loops into the top corner. Probably the best goal ever scored in the Northern Irish league. 

Looks almost like he meant it...

Lionel MESSI vs Valencia 2009-2010 La Liga

Though he probably could have filled a top 10 all by himself, the idiots at FIFA managed not to choose a goal worthy of the best player in the world. A great goal, but certainly not the best. He has the strength to hold off one player, run past another cut inside a third and fire it in at a very unguarded near post. A great goal, but certainly not goal of the year.

Arjen ROBBEN vs Schalke 04 2009-2010 DFB-Pokal semi-final

Probably the worst of the ten, a great goal but in a list like this really this is there to make up the numbers. Hurdling on challenge of the wing, he cuts back inside another Schalke player and fires it past the goalie into the far corner. Power and skill combined in a great goal.

Giovanni VAN BRONCKHORST vs Uruguay 2010 FIFA World Cup semi-final

Following another tradition of choosing the best goals from that years FIFA competitions as one of the goals on the list. This missile emanates from the boot of former Dutch captain Giovanni Van Bronckhorst. AS the Dutch play across the middle of the park, a typical leg breaker from Van Bommel and it comes to Van Bronckhorst who from a harmless position about a mile out on the wing hits the ball with aplomb, the Jabulani was hit with such power it couldn't be bothered to wobble or move in the air, it just cannons in off the upright, about as close to the top corner as you can get. Enough said.

One of those "don't even bother goalie" moments...

Kumi YOKOYAMA vs North Korea U-17 2010 FIFA U-17 Woman's World Cup semi-finals

While last years goal from woman's football was included for diplomatic reasons, this deserves it's place among the world's elite. Probably the best of the solo goals, and featuring one of the best pieces of commentary of all time. Yokoyama weaves through 5 North Koreans and places it into the bottom corner, three words A-MA-ZING.

Linus HALLENIUS vs Syrianska FC 2010 Superetten

If you were asked to name two of the greatest goals of all time, Paul Gascoigne flicking over the scottish defender and walloping home at Euro 96 and Marco Van Basten's incredible volley against the USSR would certainly be up there. However this goal, from the Swedish second division no less, manages to emulate them both. From a position on the left wing, Hallenius controls a free-kick lifted toward him on his chest, outrageously flicks it over his marker and then hits a stunning volley over the keeper from an incredible angle into the opposite top corner. A goal that you probably couldn't score on a PlayStation, it's that good.

Keepers thinking "WHAT THE F***"

So some incredible goals, of course because this is from 2 years ago the order has been decided. Altintop won by a landslide. However if I was FIFA this is how I'd rank it.

10. Arjen ROBBEN vs Schalke 04

9. Siphiwe TSHABALALA vs Mexico

8. Lionel MESSI vs Valencia

7. Giovanni VAN BRONCKHORST vs Uruguay

6. NEYMAR vs Santo Andre

5. Samir NASRI vs FC Porto

4. Kumi YOKOYAMA vs North Korea U-17

3. Matty BURROWS vs Portadown

2. Hamit ALTINTOP vs Kazakhstan

1. Linus HALLENIUS vs Syrianska FC  

I don't know why seeing as none of you ever do but I must ask you. If you disagree with the ranking, please comment. I hope you've enjoyed another Friday top 10, and see you soon...

Back to the street...

In my younger days I had a PS2, for me it was the coolest thing ever, hours and hours of weekends where spent on the thin black box shooting aliens, pulling off huge tricks on SSX (a snowboarding game) and most importantly owning the AI with sick skills on FIFA Street. FIFA Street was the computer game of my child-hood. I loved the epic tricks you could perform, the venues across the globe, the game breaker shots and most importantly the fact that even when you had just nutmegged them the computer-controlled players had the same face shape. The franchise spurned 3 games and I had FIFA Street 2, the best of the 3. FIFA Street 1 was a revolution among kids, years of dreams of performing skills with and against our favourite players where finally realised, FIFA Street 2 built on that with more tricks, better graphics and more unlockables. We don't talk about FIFA Street 3, it wasn't very good and the cartoony characters that we'd loved in the first 2 where starting to look a bit silly. However after 4 years the game is back. With football video games being better then they ever have been, the people who bought you the best selling game franchise in history (The FIFA games) are back with a reboot and it's better than ever... 

Virtual Ronaldinho getting a virtual taste of his own virtual medicine...

For a start the cartoony character styles are gone, the graphics are of course better. The controls are more responsive and there are a wider variety of tricks, including some seriously cool ones, but the thing I'm most looking forward to is the new ATTACK dribbling system not only do the players have better touch, you also have the control to dance with the ball in front of the defender before pulling a trick called Street Ball Control. You can play futsal, five/six-a-side (basically futsal but with walls), panna, one on one you can even customise and create your own game settings. Last man standing is also available, every time you score the opposition lose a player until they is no one left.

Not something you'd try in a normal game...

Another highly anticipated feature is the introduction of club teams which were unavailable in the last game. Over 120 teams will feature in the game, including both club and national along with other street football teams. Those who pre-order the game get a Messi street team as a bonus, Lionel Messi has recently signed a deal to become the new face of all the FIFA Franchise. The new game will hopefully have similar commentary to the previous games as this was the one of best features, phrases like "Oh my days, did you see that?", "When in doubt, use the walls," and "You just got nutsed brov..." The came will feature 35 locations from Madrid to Munich, London to Los Angeles, Barcelona to Buenos Ares and of course three locations in Rio, the world street football capital.

London, fine. Venice, cool. Shanghai, epic. Dubai, oh c**p...

Released in mid March this game promises much and a do hope it delivers, many of my child-hood memories are of the originals and I don't want them ruined by this game, I'm sure it will live up to it's billing and I will enjoy hours of entertainment from it. I'm looking forward to owning players, scoring goals and pulling huge tricks. What more could a teenager want really? (actually don't answer that)...

  

El Clasico and Liverpool vs Man Utd, ha this is best rivalry in the world...

As you know, I'm a massive Liverpool fan and yesterday I saw them lose to are great rivals Man Utd. There is nothing worse for a Liverpool fan, I think most of us would rather drink cyanide then watch the red devils beat us. It's is the greatest rivalry in England, everyone has a side and for those on the losing side the silence is absolute. Though Liverpool aren't what we once were the match is still huge. Yesterday's game had added importance as it united (hahaha) Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra, protagonists in a racism scandal almost as big as the one engulfing John Terry at the moment. I'm not defending what Suarez did, it was horrible and he deserved his ban. Evra had the last laugh as Liverpool played very poorly and lost 2-1 (Suarez scoring our goal) and the scenes of jubilation was like they'd already won there 20th title, it was mainly the fact they'd beaten us and also the with the added importance of the racism scandal. I'm still annoyed Liverpool won though.

Man Utd 1-4 Liverpool, oh those where the days...

El clasico in Spain is the biggest derby in the world, not in terms of intensity but in terms of media attention. These teams have the best players, the most money and a rivalry that stretches back beyond the fact they are the biggest teams in Spain. Catalonia vs Central Spain, a huge political rivalry divides the two teams and they don't try and hide it. The games are always intense and almost always end in drama, emotion and the major talking point at schools across the world the next day. However, despite the money and media attention these rivalries get, they certainly aren't the greatest derbies in world football. To find this we must head to an ancient city, filled with history, mystery and giant pointy pieces of stone. The place where I live...

Now, now play nicely children...

Cairo is a huge conurbation, as soon as you arrive at the airport and pay $15 for an entry visa, collect your baggage in the modern terminal 3 of Cairo International Airport (run by american intelligence) you are assaulted by the heat. From Giza to Gardinia, from Doki to Downtown, from Mohandasine to Maadi and all the way out to the new developments in 6th of October City, one thing connects the diverse group of people who inhabit this great country. Football. More specifically a single game that both connects and divides an entire nation and most of Africa and the middle east. Not only is it the biggest game in Egypt, this game divides an entire continent and most of a sub-continent. What game is this I here you ask? Al-Ahly vs Al-Zamalek. This is game is more than a game, it is Cairo, everywhere you go you'll find a reference to it. Taxis has bumper stickers of either club, flags hang from windows and walls, workers wear fake shirts in the street. A standered greeting in the city is "Ahly or Zamalek" (or whatever the Arabic equivalent is). Egyptians lives revolves around three things, there religion, there family and Ahly or Zamalek.

Rough tackles, more common than grains of sands in the Sahara...

The matches are a huge event, the entire country stops, it's like a national holiday for the Egyptian people. The stands are filled with the two ultras groups who see the clubs as the most important of the three things they hold most deer. Ahlawy and White Knights, set of more fireworks then you'd find in all of England on the 5th of November. The games have to be refereed by foreign refs. This transcends everything, nothing matters more to anyone than that there side wins, this is the greatest derby in the world. There is more passion, history, violence, intensity etc. than any other derby in world football. Simple as.

And this is when there 2-0 down...

  

Friday Top 10: Liverpool Goals

My life revolves around three things: school, family and Liverpool Football Club. Not necessarily in that order. I've consciously supported them since I was 5, but I was probably supporting them even when I was in my mum's tummy. I started loving football when Chelsea started winning stuff.
"Why do I have to support Liverpool? Chelsea are much better" I may have said to my dad.
"Because I'll write you out of our will if you don't" He replied, despite not knowing what a will was I took that as a bad thing and for the past 9 years of my life, the red's have been my favourite team. I saw them win the Champions League and FA Cup, I've seen there decline and there rebirth. So for my fifth Friday Top 10 I thought I'd look back on my favourite Liverpool strikes. Some of my older readership may remember better goals from days of yore, but these are my Top 10 Liverpool Goals.

Ryan BABEL vs Lyon Champions League 2009/2010
I'll start with the most recent one. A very talented player, one who never quite found his feet in the famous red shirt however it was in that seasons white third kit that he showed just what he could do. A failed overhead kick brings the Red's forward on the counter-attack Lucas plays it to Benayoun who plays a perfect cross-field pass to Babel. He control's before cutting inside, and from just under 30 yards from goal unleashes a fantastic shot into the top corner. Truly stunning, enough said.

About as hot as a seedy Dutch cinema...

Luis GARCIA vs Juventus Champions League 2004/2005

The first of two goals from the famous Champions League winning season, La Talec flicks it on and Luis Garcia sends a beautiful dipping volley into the top corner, leaving Buffon with no chance. Absolutely amazing, truly sensational, unstoppable. This goal sent them through and the rest is history...

Jon Arne RIISE vs Man U Premier League 2001/2002

The first goal to appear in 2 Friday top 10's, you already know what happened. Already established as the 4th greatest free-kick of all time but where will it rank in terms of Liverpool goals?

Peter CROUCH vs Galatasaray Champions League 2006/2007

An amazing piece of improvisation. Possibly the best British executer of overhead kicks ever, he has scored many bicycle kicks for many a club and this is the best of his several for the red's. Good work by Finnan who sends a low cross into the box for Crouch to acrobatically volley home, back across the keeper who has no chance. Amazing from a player who usually has the same sense of balance as a new born giraffe.

Especially difficult when your eyes are about 12 feet away from your toes...

Steven GERRARD vs Middlesbrough Premier League 2004/2005
The first of three from Liverpool's talismanic number 8, he seems to have been created to serve the Red's. This is an incredible goal, controlling a ball, before sending an amazing volley into the top corner from 35 yards, it bends in from a angle that look set to berry itself into the stand. Amazing goal from an amazing player. There will probably be a statue erected, his number retired, a stand named after him and several other gestures that he rightly deserves.

Dietmar HAMANN vs Portsmouth Premier League 2003/2004
Of the few German's ever to play in the Premier League, Hamann is certainly one of the greatest. This goal, voted goal of the season that year, is possibly the sweetest volley you'll ever see. Micheal Owen turns on teh wing an picks out Hamann with a pinpoint cross, who hits it on the volley from just outside the area into the top corner. The keeper doesn't even move it's that good. Stunning, no other word...

He probably calculated the exact angle at which he had to hit the ball to score...

Daniel AGGER vs West Ham Premier League 2006/2007

Almost certainly the best first goal scored by a Liverpool player. Liverpool play it across the back, Agger brings it forward and thumps it into the top corner. Unstoppable, he hits across the ball, a shot that starts at angle to go in one top corner and bends back into the other. Amazing. 

Steven GERRARD vs West Ham FA Cup Final 2006

In the second Liverpool 'miracle' in a year. In one of the best FA Cup Finals of all time Gerrard produces a moment of magic to send the game to extra time. A thumping 35 yard shot into the bottom corner. Keeper, no chance. Liverpool FA Cup champions. 

How does he do it? 

Jermaine PENNANT vs Chelsea Premier League 2006/2007

Another first goal for the club, a defensive header goes straight to Pennant, who controls and send a dipping volley into the top corner of the underside of the crossbar. It has just enough elevation to take it over the goalie, an incredible strike. Wow, just wow. 

Steven GERRARD vs Olympiakos Champions League 2004/2005

A famous goal to round off a list filled with cracking goals. Nobody has a better half-volley than Steven Gerrard, the goal that saved Liverpool's, what would be, Champions league winning season. Without this cracker there would be no Luis Garcia goal, there would be no Miracle of Istanbul and Liverpool fans wouldn't be wearing a 5th star on there chests. An amazing strike from just outside the area leaving the keeper no chance and sends liverpool threw. Also has one of the best commentary moments ever...

"OH YAH BEAUTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

So the list comes to an end, there are some goals I had to leave out. I'm truly sorry I couldn't include Torres vs Blackburn but this is a list of incredible goals and of the five Friday Top 10's this has been the hardest to rank but here it is, the top 10 Liverpool goals of recent years.

10. Ryan BABEL vs Lyon

9. Daniel AGGER vs West Ham

8. Jon Arne RIISE vs Man U

7. Luis GARCIA vs Juventus

6. Jermaine PENNANT vs Chelsea

5. Steven GERRARD vs Olympiakos

4. Peter CROUCH vs Galatasaray

3. Steven GERRARD vs West Ham

2. Steven GERRARD vs Middlesbrough 

1. Dietmar HAMANN vs Portsmouth

If you can think of another goal or disagree with the ranking of this Top 10 please feel free to comment. Liverpool FC is a institution ingrained in the British identity along with the Queen, fish and chips, cream teas, a high rate of teenage pregnancy and losing on penalties.  I hope you've enjoyed another Friday Top 10 on Football: The Global Game 'cause  certainly have.

 

Football and Flip-Flops: The Global Game down under...

Before 2006 the Aussie attitude to football was Pick that shit up and run with it... then they went to there second World Cup. There first World Cup was in Germany in 1974 was OK, they came last in there group but did draw with Chile and there amateurism and skin tight aussie rules short endeared them to the German public and the World footballing community. Then they disappeared from the global footballing map, with football's popularity sinking so low that the countries FA is forced to video it's games and sell them. While the general population watched there blonde heroes chase an egg around an oval like giant yellow birds of pray, leaping over each other before kicking the egg through the posts. They poured over cricket like a swarm of, well, crickets and loved to see the wallabies throw themselves to the ground in rugby. In every other sport they were unstoppable. People who played football where looked down on like someone who pissed themselves during a showing of a Teletubies episode. There national team remained on the fringes, roaming nomads who met with mighty empires occasionally with the mighty tribes of the world. They were a bit like the MLS in America, most new it was there but didn't pay any attention to it. They preferred watching there own version of football, there own version of cricket and a sport similar to rugby in that the aim of the game seems to be kill the opposition and you win (Ice Hockey). Sure they surfaced occasionally, beating England at Upton Park 3-1 and of course the 31-0 humbling of American Samoa but these were mere blips in a relationship akin to Ahly and Zamalek (possibly the greatest rivalry in world football) constant hate with occasional spells of cooperation, and when I say occasional I mean rarer than natural green hair or Fernando Torres scoring for Chelsea.

At least version of not-football-but-called-football has some for a kicking in it...

Then came the 2006 World Cup in ironically Germany again (though this time whole Germany and not just the west) and did well, suddenly the country that saw football as something that should be licked off the pavement by people who dared play it using there tongues. But they beat Japan and with the nation hooked huge waves of people got up at hours so ungodly that god himself is still rubbing the sleep from his eyes and dreaming of heading back to that floating bed in the sky with the holy mug of Antioch filled with the nectar of the gods that is coffee. Though they lost to Brazil the Socceroo faithful stayed, well, faithful and saw the draw with Croatia give them a birth in a the second round and the country went delirious (well probably) they were drawn with mighty Italy, the eventual champions, after holding them for 90 minutes the Spanish ref added on 6 minutes of added time and in the fifth of those Grosso (who scored the goal that took them to the final) threw himself to the flaw with a dive so obvious that it made Junior Barranquilla (see Top 10 Mad Refereeing decisions) blush. They scored the penalty and Australia where out, the global footballing community were outraged and Australia endeared themselves to there own fans and those across the world. They moved to Asia as they were finding Oceania to easy (I mean who wouldn't) and the Socceroo's had arrived on the world stage.

They'll go out in the next round, I'm sure...

Four yours later in South Africa they got thumped by the German's, drew against the Ghanains and beat the Serbian's, unable to reproduce there efforts of 4 years previously but still an impressive performance for a team who in 2005 had been there countries least favourite national sports team, behind: cricket, rugby, tennis and tiddlywinks. Just over a year ago they came second in the AFC Asian Cup, losing to Japan in the final to a goal scored by a Korean. However the future looks bright for football down under, over 90,000 fans packed themselves into the MCG for a recent friendly against Greece, more than you'd ever get for a friendly in England or even Brazil, you never know maybe soon, football will consign Aussie Rules to village fates and old people's homes filled with nostalgic's...  
     

Back to something completely different...

You may remember a couple of posts ago I looked at the number 21 to celebrate my 21st post. Well as the train of time trundles into the station of February 2012 and Football: The Global Game celebrates reaching over one month of blogging. This is a look at the number 29 as this is my 29th post.

Turkey national football team
I'll start this one like I did the first one, the official 29th best team in the world is Turkey, a developing force in world football, the noughties was there most successful decade reaching a world cup semi-final in 2002 and a Euro semi-final in 2008. They narrowly failed to qualify for Euro 2012 but are still quite a good side. They score great goals.

Zidane, eat your heart out...

Philippe Coutinho

This was difficult as not many great players have worn #29. I was considering cheating and saying El Shawaary who wears #92 (29 backwards) but then I remembered Coutinho, a quality young Brazilian who is one of the best young attacking midfielders around with pace, great control and a good pass, one of the new generation for the Selecao that features Neymar, Ganso and Lucas Piazon.

Born in 1992, wears #29 what is this dark magic!!!

Hakan Sukar and the 1986 World Cup Final

29th of June featured two World Cup records. In 1986 on the 29th of June 114,600 people pored into the famous Estadio Azteca to watch Argentina vs Germany and the mercurial Diego Maradona. On the 29th of June 2002 in the third place pay-off between the two surprise packages Turkey and South Korea, it took Hakan Sukar just 10,89 seconds to score the fastest goal in world cup finals history.

Great Mariners FC

I had to search a long way for this, the only team I could find to have won 29-0 in a game against Tudu Mighty Jets. What I'd call not a good day at the office.

David di Tommaso and Miklos Feher 

The only to players to have the shirt number 29 is honour of them, both posthumously. By Sedan and Lisbon giants Benfica. di Tommaso was 26, the hungarian Feher was 24. The Hungarian national football team held a minutes silence and laid a reath in honour of Feher's death. 

My condolences... 

Bill Shankly, Carlos Valderrama, Andreas Moller, Joey Barton, Gelson Fernandes and Pato

The best players/managers to have been born on the 2nd of September (2/9). Bill Shankly is famous for transforming Liverpool into a major force of European football. Carlos Valderrama is famous for having the greatest ever footballing afro and being in the wall when David Beckham curled in a free-kick in the 1998 World Cup. Moller is known for saving Gareth Southgate's penalty in Eur 96, Barton is famous for being about as hard as a titanium clad diamond, Fernandes scored in the shock defeat of Spain to Switzerland at World Cup 2010 and pato is just a really good player. 

This was quite hard as the number 29 doesn't pop up that often. When I do another of these posts I'll make sure to choose a low number so I can have a wider variety of choice for titbits. 

Friday Top 10: Free-Kick Goals

The Friday top 10 is back with a bang, quite a literal bang as look at what I consider the top 10 direct free-kick goals ever scored. We look at the masters of the art of dead ball taking. An art which many consider just as beautiful and painting, music and drama. A free-kick done well is a moment when boot meets ball and ball meets back of the net. Some of the best dead-ball artists of all time feature in a list filled with blasts, curls and just absolute thunderbolts, prepare to have your mind quite literally blown...

Fabio ROCHEMBACK vs Man City Premier League 2007/2008

In that season many great free kicks were scored and it did win goal of the month for May. It has everything:  power, pace, dip, swerve and amazing accuracy. You couldn't walk up to the goal and place it in the better spot, an absolute blast from the Brazilian. And yes the score board does read 5/6-0 (in fact it finished 8-1) and perhaps you could blame Middlesbrough for convincing Sheikh Zayed to by the Citizens...  

You can see why #17 doing that...

Cristiano RONALDO vs Portsmouth Premier League 2007/2008
Another from that season, Ronaldo one of the best dead-ball artists in the world shows us just what we can do, the best goal from his record equalling (no. of goals in a season I mean) season. This free-kick really summed-up Ronaldo. It isn't only the power and the accuracy it's the fact he get's the ball up and down so quickly that's amazing (like Andy Gray said)...

We surrender...

Jon Arne RIISE vs Man U Premier League 2001/2002

Almost certainly the greatest Norwegian to lace up a pair of football boots, this goal really endeared him to the Liverpool faithful. This isn't a shot this is Thor the Norse god of Thunder hitting a football with a hammer, a shot so powerful I'm surprised it didn't break the crossbar, rip through the net and achieve lift-off into space. Probably the best goal ever scored by a ginger...

Sinisa MIHAJLOVIC vs Benfica

The Serbian Mihajlovic seemed to be able to bend the ball in from anywhere in the opposition half, even scoring a hat-trick of dead-balls in one game. He still manages to bend this into the top corner from a distance most would struggle to hammer it from...

Paul GASCOIGNE vs Arsenal FA Cup semi-final 1991

In our last trip to English football, this classic smash from Gazza at the peak of his mad Geordie powers. Possibly the best goal in the North London derby (though I think Danny Rose would have something to say about that) An amazing shot from 35 yards that finds the top corner, you still can't blame the keeper for it despite him being basically under it, it's that good...

A genius, mad but a genius...

Roberto CARLOS vs France Tournoi de France 1997

The Holy Grail of free-kicks from the Brazilian master, he somehow manages to bend it away from him then make it bend back into the far corner, the seemingly impossible...

I don't think there is a world for impossible in Brazilian Portuguese though...

Oleksandr ALIYEV vs Turkey U-21 2006 UEFA European U-21 Championships

I thought this was goal scored on a PlayStation when I first saw it. But no it's real. And incredible shot, with all the accuracy and power of a Soviet ICBM and from about the same distance, this 50 yard rocket cannon's off the crossbar and despite the distance the keeper doesn't even move, it's from so far out they don't even put up a wall, not that it would have helped even people would volunteer to put themselves between the goal and a shot that could be considered a weapon of mass destruction...

ALEX vs Arsenal Premier League 2010/2011

I'm sorry, I lied we're back to English football I thought I had to include this goal. In case you didn't get the word Martin Tyler screamed as the ball screamed into the net it was "A PILEDRIVER!!!!!" which you could consider a bit of an understatement, it looks like the ball teleported from his boot to the top corner. It probably hit the back of the net before you heard it leave his boot. Despite what Andy Gray says you wouldn't just need Almunia with Fabianski, you'd need Szczesny, Lehmann and Seaman at least to get just fingertips to this shot. 

Ref "Shooting that hard should be made illigal, he could bloody kill someone..."

INCA vs Olimpia 2010

I still don't know how he does this, from inside the centre-circle he fires a shot you'd expect to see from another 30 yards closer to the goal, yet he gets incredible accuracy that most couldn't get from just outside the  penalty area. Just amazing, you can't blame the keeper. 

JUNINHO vs Bayern Munich Champions League 2003/2004

You couldn't have top 10 free-kick list without including the undisputed best free-kick taker of all time. Juninho is often over looked but could seemed to be able to do anything with a football from a dead-ball situation. He basically invented the knuckle-ball technique which makes the ball move unpredictably in the air. It's dips in off the inside of the post, about as close to the top corner as you can get...

He scored over 40 goals from set pieces almost half his overall tally for Lyon...

The art of free-kick taking is perfectly demonstrated here with every type of free-kick possible shown. But now we have to rank them. It really was difficult but the ten greatest free-kicks of all time in order are.

10. Sinisa MIHAJLOVIC vs Benfica 

9. Cristiano RONALDO vs Portsmouth

8. Paul GASCOIGNE vs Arsenal

7. ALEX vs Arsenal

6. JUNINHO vs Bayern Munich

5. Fabio ROCHEMBACK vs Man City

4. Jon Arne RIISE vs Man U

3. INCA vs Olimpia

2. Roberto CARLOS vs France

1. Oleksandr ALIYEV vs Turkey U-21

Thank you for (hopefully) reading another Friday Top 10, as we have successfully completed a month of Football: The Global Game tomorrows post will be all on the number 29 as tomorrows will be post #29. If you disagree with the ranking or can think of another free-kick that deserves a place on the list please comment.