Salad Days

Simply the greatest goal I’ve ever seen.

Weezer frontman River Cuomo is a fan too.

Luck, skill or both? Whatever, it’s better than Zola’s effort for Chelsea.

This was against Parma. The year before (or after, I forget) Parma were on the receiving end of another wonder goal by Lazio, and one Matias Almeyda in particular.

Yordan Letchkov. He looks about 40 here as he knocks out the Germans in World Cup ‘94. I love the imagery of the bald header. Football as big business really took off after this World Cup but I love how Letchkov and the unfashionable Bulgarians seem like the antithesis of all that…

This is all about Sheringham.

As an aside, you catch a brief glimpse of Steve McManaman in this clip in the number 17 shirt. My birthday was around the same time as Euro 96 and I spent my birthday £££ on an England shirt with McManaman 17 on the back! I was 12 and took a fairly small shirt size so the text started halfway down one sleeve and finished halfway down the other.

On first viewing this looks pretty average, and it’s by no means Totti’s best, but I love the audacity of taking a penalty like this in a high stakes shootout. This was Euro 2000, and the Italians had been knocked out of the last two tournaments on penalties (Legend has it that Totti told teammates Maldini and Di Biagio that he was planning the chip the moment it went to penalties).

At the time I would cover for my sister one day a week in her job cleaning offices. I took time out from the duster to watch this shootout on a TV in the swanky board room with a diet coke. Alan Hansen’s response to this penalty? “Ultimate cheek”.

Nearly went for Zidane’s penalty from the 2006 World Cup final which is similar. But I much prefer the headbutt…and he nearly misses.

The chip. The celebration. No other words needed. 

I will mention the ‘keeper, Lionel Perez actually. He was decent for Sunderland that year, and looked cool as fuck with his long hair and sleeves always rolled up. Then he vanished.

Euro 1992. Brolin, Dahlin, Brolin. Lovely stuff. It’s the commentary that makes this stick in the memory. Brolin got fat and opened a shoe shop…

Again, something a little more recent and a trick I’ve been known to pull off myself. Andres Vasquez, a pretty obscure footballer, scores this beauty for IFK Gothenburg (former club of legendary 90s winger Jesper Blomqvist). He’s since gone on to do very little and probably still dines out on this one. Also, he’s half Swedish and half Peruvian! How the hell does that happen?!

Okay, back to Serie A now. I’m not sure exactly when my love affair with Italian football started, but I know my interest was piqued by the raw talent of Batistuta and the flair Baggio. It must have been around the time Milan signed Baggio, cos I remember one game where Juventus, with likes of Padavano, and a young duo of Del Piero and Vieri, thumped Milan 6-0 with Baggio on the bench. Anyway, this must have been from the same era, Alen Boksic, before a move to Juve, scores an outrageous chip. Love how the ‘keeper stops to applaud.

As a side not, Boksic suffered terrible luck on the International scene. He managed to get injured before Croatia’s impressive showing in both Euro 96 and the 1998 World cup. A real shame as Boksic was easily at the top of his game in 1998. He would suffer more bad luck in 2000 when he ended up at Middlesbrough.

This is the most recent goal to have caught my imagination. Benzema scores it but really, who cares? It’s all about Guti’s backheel. Oh the arrogance! On his day, he’s better than any one of Fabregas, Xavi or Iniesta. But he’s just too badass for the national team. Their loss…

Other recommended viewing is Guti’s role in Madrid’s hammering of Valladolid in 2008.