The goals make the games, the celebrations make the goals. The World Cup has been the platform for hundreds of goal celebrations, from the iconic to the idiotic, here’s the top ten...
10)Bebeto – sixteen years on and the influence of countless pathetic imitations, the ‘baby cradle’ celebration should now come with a mandatory yellow card to any goalscorer wishing to crown the birth of their offspring with a lame swinging of the arms. However, when done originally, in a World Cup quarter-final, by a Brazilian, with joy etched all over his face and with an instant co-ordination and rhythm with team-mates, Bebeto’s welcoming gift to his third kid just about makes the cut.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbhaDnd-5kg
9)Hector Castro – Back when the World Cup was little more than a new fangled competition, football was a different game. It was a man’s sport played by real men, so there was no diving, feigning injury, pink boots or over effeminate celebrations. Or was there? Here’s the winning goal from the 1930 final, Hector Castro’s header giving Uruguay and unassailable lead over Argentina. After a couple of schoolyard skips, Castro leaps lovingly into the outstretched arms of a jubilant team-mate. The pair clasp, embrace, then collapse and roll around the floor like in a meadow scene from a Mills and Boon novel. Who said todays footballers were soft?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RqlyrXZ4KM (skip to 3min)
8)Gordon Strachan – Scotlands appearance in Mexico 1986 was memorable for almost nothing – they finished bottom of their group, finished with just one point and only scored one goal. However that solitary strike was celebrated in typical gallows humour by wee Gordon Strachan. After putting the Scots one up against the Germans, Strachan raced to and tried to hurdle the ominously high perimeter advertising before realising he was 5ft 5” and couldn’t get over it. Instead, Strachan nonchalantly rested his leg on the hoardings giving the whole world an all too close up view of his pasty upper thigh region.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8n55P43-ug (skip to 2m 45s)
7)Ahn Jung Hwan – The South Koreans surprised everyone with their third place finish in 2002, and striker Ahn Jung Hwan raised a few more eyebrows with a dissenting celebration after he’d grabbed a late equaliser against the United States. Ahn’s impression of a speed-skater looked innocent enough at first, but was in fact a pop at the International Skating Union’s decision to strip a Korean skater of a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Controversial stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YlU37w1ngM
6)Ray Houghton – The Republic of Ireland always bring along their unique brand of colour and character to World Cup’s, none more so than in the home from home clash with Italy at the Giants Stadium in New York. The Irish were everywhere; decked out in green, sporting Guinness hats, clutching four leaf clovers and they even had their own lucky leprechaun called ray Houghton to score an improbable winner against the much fancied Italians. Houghton’s juicy lob over Gianluca Pagliuca was followed by a joyous little forward roly-poly ditty. Even Jack Charlton’s horrible flat peaked baseball cap couldn’t taper the celebrations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXauYVy_dws
5)Julius Agahowa – Eight years after Houghton’s forward roll, Nigerian striker Agahowa took acrobatic celebrations onto a new plain with his seven-flip somersault, complete with finish and landing after scoring against Sweden in Kobe. It’s safe to assume that Agahowa didn’t learn the manoeuvre from countryman Celestine Babayaro, who tried it after scoring for Chelsea in a friendly at Stevenage... and broke his ankle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z77qO25ji3c
4)Diego Maradona – El Diego, it’s sacrilege to leave him out of any hastily cobbled together World Cup top ten list, but the little genius thoroughly deserves his place in this one for his manic, wild-eyed, rabid screaming fit taken out on a well placed camera lurking on the sidelines after he’d blasted home a clinical left-footed strike against Greece at USA 94. Maradona said his reaction was at the frustration of having his career stalled for three years after being banned for taking cocaine in 1991. A week later, he’d failed another drugs test and was on his way home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27mgGlHPPV0&feature=fvw
3)Finidi George – The Nigerians made a big splash at their first World Cup appearance , and that splash was very nearly unceremoniously added to by Finidi George imitating a dog having a, err.. a splash? After breaking away in the final minute against Greece, the Ajax flyer daintily lobbed the onrushing Greek keeper to seal a 2-0 win, before jogging to the corner flag, walking round on all fours like stray mut in the park and cocking his leg against the corner flag. The only relief was that George didn’t actually relieve himself, which would have been interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_mwyGKBSwI
2)Roger Milla – Cameroon were the one illuminating feature of a dull Italia 90 and much of that colour was down to the appearance of a 38-year-old striker they’d coaxed out of retirement. Roger Milla went onto score four goals, all from the bench and celebrated in true African style by producing a rhythmic hip gyration, finger pointing to the sky, around the nearest corner flag, best illustrated after he dispossessed the chaotic Colombian keeper Rene Higuita some 40 yards out to send his side through to a surprise quarter final place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyGYJagvhoE
1)Marco Tardelli – no choreographed nonsense needed here. This is what it means to score the winning goal in a World Cup final. The now immortal ‘Tardelli scream’ came after the midfielder burst his lungs to join in and cap off a fine counter attack to put his Italian 2-0 up against the West Germans. As soon as the ball hit the net Tardelli turned and started a run to nowhere, picking up momentum and emotion with every step as the realisation of his achievements rose climactically to the surface. Tardelli, running to the touchline, fists pumping, head swaying, screaming ‘goal’, his face all contorted with ecstasy still remains one of the tournaments most iconic and endearing images.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br4e1tfL9ng&feature=related
Monday, 27 September 2010
Top Ten World Cup Goalscorers
The men that put the ball in the net, the boys at the business end of the field. Here’s the top ten most prolific World Cup Goalscorers.
7=)Grzegorz Lato – 20 Games/10 Goals – Lato was a key component of the golden generation of Polish football, which culminated in a third placed finish at the 1974 and 1982 World Cups. The pacy winger was top scorer in 1974 with an impressive gathering of seven goals in seven games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07HR8wrkRas
7=)Miroslav Klose 14/10 – The Polish born German striker is just six goals away from surpassing the great Ronaldo as the competitions leading marksman and could achieve that accolade in South Africa this summer. Klose scored five goals in Der Mannschaft’s run to the 2002 final and added another five on home turf in 2006, making him the first German winner of the Golden Shoe since Gerd Muller in 1970.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJeYJt3Rxss&feature=related
7=)Teofilo Cubillas 13/10 – Peru were a regular fixture at World Cups back in the day and didn’t do too badly when they were there. They were aided and abeited by Cubillas, a dynamic midfielder and the country’s top scorer of all-time with 26 goals in 81 caps. A man for the big occasion, 10 of those strikes came in 13 World Cup appearances, including a memorable brace against Scotland in 1978.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5hbhMI8Rrk&feature=related
7=)Gary Lineker – 12/10 – The only Englishman to finish as top scorer after his six goals in five games in 1986. Lineker had a penchant for important goals, his hat-trick against Poland saved England from elimination in Mexico and at Italia 90, England required Linker’s nous in a series of tight, low-scoring encounters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkaQDNjfJss
7=)Gabriel Batistuta 12/10 – The Angel Gabriel was the arch penalty box assassin and his record of ten goals in twelve World Cup appearances including a hat-trick against Jamaica in France 98 illustrated his deadly class. Batistuta provided the ammunition for the Argies, but a withering defence meant Batigol always fell short of a winners medal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkaQDNjfJss
7=)Helmut Rahn –10/10 – German forward Rahn scored a goal a game over two tournaments, his finest hour coming in the ‘Battle of Berne’ when he scored two as the West German’s humbled the much fancied Hungarians in the 1954 final.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPfhoox5HdI
6)Sandor Kocsis 5/11 - The Hungary team of 1954 are still considered one of the best sides to have never won a World Cup. The tournament in Switzerland featured a glutenous supply of goals, with the fluid Hungarians largely responsible for the almighty 5.38 goals per game average. The Mighty Magyars had taken England apart at Wembley in 1953, and boasting Ferenc Puskas, Zoltan Czibor, Jozsef Bozsik and Sandor Kocsis were regarded the best team around. In their two group games the Hungarians scored a preposterous 17 goals with Kocsis getting seven. He scored two more in each of the quarters and semi's against Brazil and Uruguay respectively, but was shut out by the ruthless West German’s in the final.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_TS2a1rYHo
5)Jurgen Klinsmann 17/11 - The Beatle driving amateur dramatics fanatic was the first player to score three goals or more at three different World Cups (a record later matched by Ronaldo.) His first tournament was Italia 90, a home from home with Jurgen the German plying his trade for Inter at the time. Klinsmann scored all three of his goals at the San Siro, as Franz Beckenbauers men lifted the trophy, USA 94 was good personally for Klinsi as he notched five in five before being sent home by Bulgaria, and even in France 98 at the ripe old age of 33, Klinsmann found the net a further three times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDczCjL-JrY
4)Pele 14/12 – Long before he was converted into a marketing gimmick by FIFA, Edson Arantes do Nascimento used to be a very handy player indeed. Aged just 17 in 1958, Pele became the youngest player to score a World Cup goal when he scored against Wales. He only played four games that year but still scored six including a hat-trick in the semi and two in the final. By 62 Pele was regarded as the best player in the world, and similar to 66 was subjected to some agricultural tackling which limited his participation but he was not to be stopped in 1970 as he spearheaded the fantastic Zagallo side to the Jules Rimet, scoring four goals en route to immortality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbKDqYBZHSM
3)Just Fontaine 6/13 – Third top scorer of all time is the Moroccan born French striker Just Fonatine who scored all of his goals in one tournament, Sweden 1958. In a run of form which is unlikely ever to be bettered, the Stade Reims striker cracked a hat-trick in his first match against Paraguay, two against Yugoslavia and another against Scotland. Two more followed against Northern Ireland, before Fontaine equalised in the semis versus Brazil, only for a young lad called Pele to score three and send the samba boys through to the final. In the third-fourth play-off, Fontaine smashed four past defending champions West Germany to finish with an amazing haul of thirteen goals in just six games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLyW4yldp0A
2)Gerd Muller 13/14 – Der Bomber, the ultimate penalty box predator and the most lethal goalscorer of the modern era. His instinctive poaching skills and insatiable thirst for hitting the back of the net resulted in a peerless goalscoring CV for club and country. His first tournament was a remarkable feat, banging in seven in three group games including two hat-tricks, another in the quarters and two in the semis meaning Muller went home with the Golden Shoe with ten in seven games. Another four goals followed in 1974 including the winners in the semi and final but Muller opted to retire from international football after the tournament, resting on the unbelievable record of 68 goals from 62 caps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulDyDqrfMBU
1) Ronaldo 19/15 – The phenomenal thing about il fenomeno is that he was one of the finest goalscorers of all-time, despite rarely being fully fit. An unused squad member in Brazil’s ’94 win, Ronaldo burst onto the scene in 98 with four goals before the ill fated final in Paris. The 2002 tournament was even more remarkable as the Inter ace had played just 24 times in three years before banging in eight goals including two in another final versus the German’s. Another three followed in 2006, the last of which against Ghana made Big Ron the world cup’s all time leading goalscorer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEKyl2yakOE
7=)Grzegorz Lato – 20 Games/10 Goals – Lato was a key component of the golden generation of Polish football, which culminated in a third placed finish at the 1974 and 1982 World Cups. The pacy winger was top scorer in 1974 with an impressive gathering of seven goals in seven games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07HR8wrkRas
7=)Miroslav Klose 14/10 – The Polish born German striker is just six goals away from surpassing the great Ronaldo as the competitions leading marksman and could achieve that accolade in South Africa this summer. Klose scored five goals in Der Mannschaft’s run to the 2002 final and added another five on home turf in 2006, making him the first German winner of the Golden Shoe since Gerd Muller in 1970.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJeYJt3Rxss&feature=related
7=)Teofilo Cubillas 13/10 – Peru were a regular fixture at World Cups back in the day and didn’t do too badly when they were there. They were aided and abeited by Cubillas, a dynamic midfielder and the country’s top scorer of all-time with 26 goals in 81 caps. A man for the big occasion, 10 of those strikes came in 13 World Cup appearances, including a memorable brace against Scotland in 1978.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5hbhMI8Rrk&feature=related
7=)Gary Lineker – 12/10 – The only Englishman to finish as top scorer after his six goals in five games in 1986. Lineker had a penchant for important goals, his hat-trick against Poland saved England from elimination in Mexico and at Italia 90, England required Linker’s nous in a series of tight, low-scoring encounters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkaQDNjfJss
7=)Gabriel Batistuta 12/10 – The Angel Gabriel was the arch penalty box assassin and his record of ten goals in twelve World Cup appearances including a hat-trick against Jamaica in France 98 illustrated his deadly class. Batistuta provided the ammunition for the Argies, but a withering defence meant Batigol always fell short of a winners medal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkaQDNjfJss
7=)Helmut Rahn –10/10 – German forward Rahn scored a goal a game over two tournaments, his finest hour coming in the ‘Battle of Berne’ when he scored two as the West German’s humbled the much fancied Hungarians in the 1954 final.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPfhoox5HdI
6)Sandor Kocsis 5/11 - The Hungary team of 1954 are still considered one of the best sides to have never won a World Cup. The tournament in Switzerland featured a glutenous supply of goals, with the fluid Hungarians largely responsible for the almighty 5.38 goals per game average. The Mighty Magyars had taken England apart at Wembley in 1953, and boasting Ferenc Puskas, Zoltan Czibor, Jozsef Bozsik and Sandor Kocsis were regarded the best team around. In their two group games the Hungarians scored a preposterous 17 goals with Kocsis getting seven. He scored two more in each of the quarters and semi's against Brazil and Uruguay respectively, but was shut out by the ruthless West German’s in the final.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_TS2a1rYHo
5)Jurgen Klinsmann 17/11 - The Beatle driving amateur dramatics fanatic was the first player to score three goals or more at three different World Cups (a record later matched by Ronaldo.) His first tournament was Italia 90, a home from home with Jurgen the German plying his trade for Inter at the time. Klinsmann scored all three of his goals at the San Siro, as Franz Beckenbauers men lifted the trophy, USA 94 was good personally for Klinsi as he notched five in five before being sent home by Bulgaria, and even in France 98 at the ripe old age of 33, Klinsmann found the net a further three times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDczCjL-JrY
4)Pele 14/12 – Long before he was converted into a marketing gimmick by FIFA, Edson Arantes do Nascimento used to be a very handy player indeed. Aged just 17 in 1958, Pele became the youngest player to score a World Cup goal when he scored against Wales. He only played four games that year but still scored six including a hat-trick in the semi and two in the final. By 62 Pele was regarded as the best player in the world, and similar to 66 was subjected to some agricultural tackling which limited his participation but he was not to be stopped in 1970 as he spearheaded the fantastic Zagallo side to the Jules Rimet, scoring four goals en route to immortality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbKDqYBZHSM
3)Just Fontaine 6/13 – Third top scorer of all time is the Moroccan born French striker Just Fonatine who scored all of his goals in one tournament, Sweden 1958. In a run of form which is unlikely ever to be bettered, the Stade Reims striker cracked a hat-trick in his first match against Paraguay, two against Yugoslavia and another against Scotland. Two more followed against Northern Ireland, before Fontaine equalised in the semis versus Brazil, only for a young lad called Pele to score three and send the samba boys through to the final. In the third-fourth play-off, Fontaine smashed four past defending champions West Germany to finish with an amazing haul of thirteen goals in just six games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLyW4yldp0A
2)Gerd Muller 13/14 – Der Bomber, the ultimate penalty box predator and the most lethal goalscorer of the modern era. His instinctive poaching skills and insatiable thirst for hitting the back of the net resulted in a peerless goalscoring CV for club and country. His first tournament was a remarkable feat, banging in seven in three group games including two hat-tricks, another in the quarters and two in the semis meaning Muller went home with the Golden Shoe with ten in seven games. Another four goals followed in 1974 including the winners in the semi and final but Muller opted to retire from international football after the tournament, resting on the unbelievable record of 68 goals from 62 caps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulDyDqrfMBU
1) Ronaldo 19/15 – The phenomenal thing about il fenomeno is that he was one of the finest goalscorers of all-time, despite rarely being fully fit. An unused squad member in Brazil’s ’94 win, Ronaldo burst onto the scene in 98 with four goals before the ill fated final in Paris. The 2002 tournament was even more remarkable as the Inter ace had played just 24 times in three years before banging in eight goals including two in another final versus the German’s. Another three followed in 2006, the last of which against Ghana made Big Ron the world cup’s all time leading goalscorer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEKyl2yakOE
Azzurri World Cup Years 1998
Inter’s triumph in the Champions League has in some way returned Italian football to the top of the pile on the continent, but in no way can that isolated success compare to when Calcio really was the daddy of European football – the 1990’s. Of the twenty Champions League and UEFA Cup finals during that period, there were 10 Italian winners and a further 11 more finalists. Six FIFA World Players of the Year and six Balon d’Or winners played their trade on the peninsula and the world transfer record was broken no fewer than seven times by Italian clubs. Serie A was the place to be.
The strength of the competition and the fact that Serie A had only recently lifted its three foreigners rule meant that Italy was blessed with a precocious talent pool. At USA ’94 the Azzurri were a skied Roberto Baggio penalty away from their fourth World Cup, and made the short trip to France once again amongst the favourites to win the competition. Only four of Coach Cesare Maldini’s outfield squad were over 30, and Alessandro Nesta, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Del Piero, Filippo Inzaghi and Christian Vieri were all coming into their peak in their early twenties. Combined with the experience of Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta at the back, and the quality of Demetrio Albertini and Luigi Di Biagio in midfield, expectations from the motherland were typically high. Spirits were also raised by the reappearance of Italia ‘90 hero and US ’94 villain, Baggio after the Divine Ponytail enjoyed an Indian summer with Bologna, scoring 22 league goals.
Despite all the talent on show, the Azzurri still managed to make a meal of qualifying for the tournament and after Glenn Hoddle’s England team did an Italian job on the Italians in Rome, they had to negotiate a two-legged play-off with Russia before appearing at their fourteenth World Cup. When there, Group B also containing Chile, Austria and Cameroon presented few problems, with the only points dropped coming in a 2-2 against the Marcelo Salas inspired Chileans in the first game. Two goals from the prolific Vieri helped Italy to a comfortable 3-0 win over Cameroon next up, with Baggio and Vieri again on the scoresheet to wrap things up against Austria.
Having strode purposefully out of the group, Italy were paired with the organised and obdurate Norway in the second round – the Scandinavians having beaten and progressed with Brazil from Group A. In a predictably tight tussle at the Stade Veledrome, another Vieri goal was enough to send Maldini’s men through to a quarter-final against the hosts at the Stade de France – the venue of the final. Les Blues under the scrutiny of their home audience had needed the first World Cup ‘golden goal’ courtesy of Laurent Blanc to scrape past Paraguay in the last sixteen, and were again apprehensive about losing in a sterile encounter with the Azzurri. Chances were at a premium and Baggio almost nicked it late into extra time when his header flashed across the face of Fabien Barthez’s goal. However, the tie was to be settled by penalties and after Zinedine Zidane and Baggio exchanged the opening spot-kicks, both Bixente Lizarazu and Albertini missed. Another two penalties apiece were put away, before Blanc made it 4-3, meaning Di Biagio had to score to keep Italy in. The Roma man thumped his kick against the bar to send the French through, and the Italians home for a third World Cup in a row via the heartache of penalty kicks.
The strength of the competition and the fact that Serie A had only recently lifted its three foreigners rule meant that Italy was blessed with a precocious talent pool. At USA ’94 the Azzurri were a skied Roberto Baggio penalty away from their fourth World Cup, and made the short trip to France once again amongst the favourites to win the competition. Only four of Coach Cesare Maldini’s outfield squad were over 30, and Alessandro Nesta, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Del Piero, Filippo Inzaghi and Christian Vieri were all coming into their peak in their early twenties. Combined with the experience of Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta at the back, and the quality of Demetrio Albertini and Luigi Di Biagio in midfield, expectations from the motherland were typically high. Spirits were also raised by the reappearance of Italia ‘90 hero and US ’94 villain, Baggio after the Divine Ponytail enjoyed an Indian summer with Bologna, scoring 22 league goals.
Despite all the talent on show, the Azzurri still managed to make a meal of qualifying for the tournament and after Glenn Hoddle’s England team did an Italian job on the Italians in Rome, they had to negotiate a two-legged play-off with Russia before appearing at their fourteenth World Cup. When there, Group B also containing Chile, Austria and Cameroon presented few problems, with the only points dropped coming in a 2-2 against the Marcelo Salas inspired Chileans in the first game. Two goals from the prolific Vieri helped Italy to a comfortable 3-0 win over Cameroon next up, with Baggio and Vieri again on the scoresheet to wrap things up against Austria.
Having strode purposefully out of the group, Italy were paired with the organised and obdurate Norway in the second round – the Scandinavians having beaten and progressed with Brazil from Group A. In a predictably tight tussle at the Stade Veledrome, another Vieri goal was enough to send Maldini’s men through to a quarter-final against the hosts at the Stade de France – the venue of the final. Les Blues under the scrutiny of their home audience had needed the first World Cup ‘golden goal’ courtesy of Laurent Blanc to scrape past Paraguay in the last sixteen, and were again apprehensive about losing in a sterile encounter with the Azzurri. Chances were at a premium and Baggio almost nicked it late into extra time when his header flashed across the face of Fabien Barthez’s goal. However, the tie was to be settled by penalties and after Zinedine Zidane and Baggio exchanged the opening spot-kicks, both Bixente Lizarazu and Albertini missed. Another two penalties apiece were put away, before Blanc made it 4-3, meaning Di Biagio had to score to keep Italy in. The Roma man thumped his kick against the bar to send the French through, and the Italians home for a third World Cup in a row via the heartache of penalty kicks.
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